The Pink Triangle
by Official Scroll Keeper
Summary: An AU World War II fic. Blaine and his family are Jewish and are sent to Dachau where he meets Kurt who is forced to where a pink triangle around the camp. Blaine understands what the pink triangle means and realizes he is like Kurt.
1. Barrack 28

This is a story that just came to me, and I don't want too big of an authors note right now so…

**Dislcaimer:** I don't own Blaine, Kurt, or Burt. They are Ryan Murphy's the brilliant guy. I also don't own anything WW II related.

Thanks, Enjoy and let me know what you think. Should I continue?

**Edit:** 6/3/11 I'm Graduating today, yay! On another note, I have replaced this chapter and added things to it as well as change a few things. Not everything is different but some of my historical inaccuarcies have been fixed. If I missed anything or you wish to add anything let me know in a review. Thanks!

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><p>It was a cold day in October 1944 when Blaine Anderson and his parents were brought into Dachau in the back of a truck. They had been marched, and put on a train in small and confined cars with little space for anything including breathing, then they had been put on trucks and were now arriving, driving under the gates at the entrance to a NAZI Concentration camp.<p>

Blaine and his parents were being transported there, along with many other Jewish families who had been living in their hometown with them. Blaine's father was an accountant, like his father before him and was very quiet, serious, and stern man. His mother was also quiet, but gentle and more prone to soft laughter than to lectures or serious discussions.

The first gate they drove under was large and made of stone and looked solid and fortified. There was an eagle with open wings perched on the swastika symbol above the gate.

They drove through what looked like an army base and came to a second gate. This one was across a bridge an had an observation deck on top with a gunman peering down at them through the windows. The gate was wrought iron and had words set into it. "Arbiet Macht Frei." _Work sets you free_, they read.

As they drove under the second gate of Dachau, Blaine stared up at the sky which was gray and cloudy. _How long?_ He wondered. _How long will it be like this?_

Whether he was thinking about the weather or the uncomfortable method of transportation is uncertain. However one may believe, he was questioning his God.

The car bumped to a stop and the people swayed as the back of the truck was opened by the SS and the people were herded out. They were lined up and inspected. Then they were assigned to a barrack. There they were assigned a job.

This was what kept the concentration camp running. The forced labor of all the Jews and other misfortune people who were here.

Blaine was assigned to barrack 28. Apparently the man who had previously occupied his bunk had been unable to work any more. Blaine hadn't gotten the details, there were just to many places he could be. So he was left to wonder as he went back outside and looked around for the man who assigned the jobs.

His father had been sent to barrack 17 and his mother to the women's barracks across the camp. He didn't know what work they would be assigned but at the moment he was living in a trance not believing even his own eyes. He wasn't really here. He was actually at home asleep in his bed, having a nightmare. So he simply continued to stand there, waiting to be told what to do.

"Hey, you there! What are you standing about there for?" Asked a man armed with a gun and wearing the swastika on his armband.

"I don't have a job yet sir."

"Well why don't we get you started then? Drop and give me 50 pushups."

Blaine was a bit startled at this command but immediately and without thinking, followed orders. When he was done he stood up and tried not to show any sign of weakness. He couldn't remember the last time he'd eaten and was sure he hadn't for about three days. How he had managed to have the strength to complete those pushups was beyond him. He was sure he was swaying on his feet and at any moment would faint to the ground. However, this did not happen and Blaine continued to stand there at attention as if he was the one in the army and the man walked around him examining him.

"Dirty Jew. What's your barrack number?"

"Number 28."

"Go over there and help those men with the digging."

"What are they digging, sir?" Blaine barely dared ask.

"Their own grave probably." The man answered. "Now get moving!"

Blaine jumped and hurried away in the direction the man had pointed.

As he got there he was given a shovel by another guard and hurriedly got to work, jumping into the hole and beginning to dig with a renewed vigor.

"Hey sonny, save your strength." An older gentleman called. "You're going to need it. They aren't going to let you stop working once you get this job done, so what's your hurry, huh?"

Blaine saw the wisdom in the man's words and slowed down his pace but not his determination.

Blaine worked all day and was exhausted and even more hungry than before when a bell was sounded for him to stop. He looked up from his working, wiping his brow, and noticed a flame that seemed to be burning eternally. It was on the other side of a wall coming out of a large pipe somewhat resembling a chimney.

Tearing his eyes away from this Blaine noticed a line forming near the doorway of a building marked kitchen. The men were given a somewhat steamy bowl and a moldy piece of bread, then were sent away. Blaine hurried to joing the line along with the older wise gentleman from before.

He was handed a bowl which was then filled with…water. It was supposedly Chicken soup, but it resembled the water after all the laundry has been washed. It was gray, and tasted like rubber and had little bits of bread floating in it. To Blaine it was one of the best meals he'd ever had, he was that hungry.

He and the rest of his bunker mates were then herded back to their bunker. Guards were posted at the entrance and they were told not to go anywhere until told to do so.

Blaine climbed onto his bunk which he shared with an older man and two other boys somehwere in their 20's, as there were more men than bunks.

Blaine turned on his side to try and give the other guy some more room and as he did he noticed the boy across the aisle from him was crying quietly to himself. His hair was an interesting shade somewhere between blonde and brunette mixed with highlights of an auburn shade. His figure was small, not just because of lack of food but also because his build was slight. He had a flawless angelic face, except for the tears silently hitting his lump of cloth that was supposed to be a pillow but was really just his shirt bunched up under his head.

He too was turned on his side and was facing Blaine, though in the dark shadows he could not know that Blaine was studying him.

Blaine, whose compassionate heart couldn't stand to see anyone cry, even in circumstances like this whispered as quietly as he could over to the boy, "Hey, what's wrong?"

The boy stopped crying and peered in Blaine's direction trying to make him out. When he found it almost impossible he tried to wipe his eyes and said, "My father. They sent him away somewhere."

Blaine was silent for a moment and the boys tears started again. "I'm sorry." He paused and then asked, "Was he here long?"

The boy nodded. "It seems like forever. I think it's been 4 months perhaps." He sniffed quietly, took a shuddering breath and said, "He was so much stronger than me. Now I don't know when I'll see him agin."

"Why did they…?" He let the question hang and open for the boy to answer if he chose.

"He couldn't keep up with the work we were assigned to. So they took him to away." The boys voice seemed almost detached now but Blaine could hear his voice catch.

"I'm sorry." Blaine said again.

The boy nodded. "He used to sleep in your bunk. Until now that is."

Blaine understood what had brought on the tears then.

"What about your parents?" The boy asked. "Where are they?"

"Barrack 17. I'm no longer sure where my mother is at. Why do they separate some and not others?"

The boy shrugged. "There must be method to their madness. But then again, maybe not." He sighed. "My name is Kurt, by the way. Kurt Hummel."

Blaine kicked himself mentally. He hadn't introduced himself. Where were his manners? "I'm Blaine. Blaine Anderson."

Just then a guard standing outside yelled for the prisoners to shut up and Kurt and Blaine had to give up conversing out of fear.

Blaine vaguely wondered why Kurt was here. Then he simply assumed as he drifted off to sleep that he was a Jew.

He was wrong.

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><p>So…what do you think? Should I continue with this story. It just came to me while I was reading some fanfic. I was like, how were homosexuals classified in WW II. Jews had the start of David, what did Gays have? Well apparently you're going to have to review to find out or look it up on google.<p>

Okay so yeah, there is the edited chapter and I hope to get the second chapter up really soon. Sometime this weekend if at all possible. Now that school is almost out I'll be able to post more frequently.

Thankies,  
>OSK<p> 


	2. The Eternal Fire

**Disclaimer:** I don't own glee or WW II or the pink triangle, Hitler and his Nazi's own that one.

Okay, sorry for any historical discrepancies in this chapter. I tried to do a little bit more research and hopefully I'm not moving to fast. I think for the next few chapters they'll be a little bit slower. I have quite a lot more that I want to add and of course we are not yet near D-day. So we'll all just have to wait and see what happens in the next few chapters together.

Please Review, or message me if there are any large discrepancies I can clear up for you. Or you could just review and let me know if I am moving to fast, or you are simply enjoying the story.

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><p>The next day, Blaine was shoved awake by his bunk mates getting down on the other side and clambering over him. Blaine looked around and realized people were getting up, but the guards hadn't called them yet.<p>

_Learn to anticipate._ Blaine thought as he crawled off the hard wood of the so called bunk and hopped down onto the floor. As he got down he looked over to see Kurt's angelic face still resting on his 'pillow.'

Blaine reached over and gently placed his hand on Kurt's shoulder. His eyes popped open and looked a little red from his crying last night. Other than that he looked as disheveled and tired as anyone else.

Blaine attempted a smile which seemed to come out more as a grimace, and Kurt tried to smile back, although it didn't really reach his blue-gray eyes.

Kurt sat up and pulled his shirt back on then hopped off his own bunk and followed Blaine outside with the others.

They were given another bowl of the same 'soup' from the night before and were sent to the same project of digging. Blaine didn't know why they were digging. He was sure it wasn't really for anyone's grave. He was not innocent or naïve enough to believe that anyone would actually be buried here. Rumors circulated about a furnace of death on the other side of the wall but no one who went on the other side ever came out to confirm the rumors except a few forced laborers who never said anything. Blaine could only guess at it's purpose. He assumed there was an influx of prisoners and that there were not enough jobs with a practical purpose so they had been put to work digging.

Kurt and Blaine worked alongside each other that day, and as they worked, Blaine noticed an odd shape and color against Kurt's gray shirt.

It was a pink triangle. It was rather large and was sewn onto Kurt's shirt pointing down like an arrow. Underneath it was a 4-digit identifying number.

Blaine wondered curiously what this was, then he recalled his father saying something about a pink triangle on the way here.

It was during the long, hot train ride. His father had been quietly talking to another man about the Star of David and the man had shown his father a pink star like the one Kurt was wearing. He didn't yet have numbers but he had been told to wear the pink triangle everywhere.

Blaine's father had been fascinated, until he heard what the triangle meant. He had pulled back and tried to move away from the man as much as possible muttering something about liking other men.

Blaine had ignored this scene at the time, his mother had been laying on the floor with a slight fever. Now he recalled what the triangle meant and almost immediately felt shame at his father's reaction. He didn't understand why he was ashamed, probably because he liked Kurt. He seemed so innocent and pure in this place full of evil and malice.

He made a mental note to talk to Kurt about it and continued digging the hole. He didn't know how deep it needed to be, or how wide so he just continued to stay on the same level and width as the others.

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><p>After Blaine had been there about a month, the hole was declared finished and two SS men came over to the group. One of them shouted, "I need two...volunteers!"<p>

Everyone just stared at them quietly, while others shuffled their feet and looked at the ground. No one wanted to dig anymore, but no one knew what they would be assigned to next. The unknown was frightening and unnerving as a group. It would be worse if it were just two of them.

Blaine glanced around at the others and met Kurt's exhausted gaze for a moment. Then he looked back up at the Gestapo and stepped forward firmly.

Beside him he felt Kurt tentatively step forward as well and Blaine smiled inwardly to himself.

The men nodded and motioned for Kurt and Blaine to follow.

One of the men motioned at Kurt and drew a triangle in the air on his chest, then he pointed at Blaine and laughingly said to the other soldier, "You think he's one too?" The other man looked at Kurt uneasily but said, "Maybe they like each other in their sick and twisted way." They laughed and Kurt turned slightly pink. Blaine clenched his jaw and kept quiet with effort. They didn't need to say those things to about them and who Kurt like was his own business.

As for himself, Blaine had come to like Kurt Hummel. While he appeared pale, fragile, and weak, Kurt was strong in his own way. He handled his beatings patiently, like he'd been conditioned to do since coming here and even before when people found out he liked other men. Blaine could see the raging fire behind Kurt's eyes when people, more often guards, insulted him. However he held himself in check, which Blaine thought, took enormous strength.

Maybe Blaine had started liking him a little too much. He thought about Kurt quite often, but for now he pushed those thoughts away and focused on what his next task would be. Blaine could work with his hands to keep his thoughts busy and he figured if this next job was as strenuous as the last it would keep his mind off of Kurt and the feelings and thoughts that were beginnging to confuse him.

They lead them towards the fire and the wall that it was behind.

The men lead them straight to the building with the fire. They were taken to a room with a furnace, something like what pizza is cooked in, but with a rack that pulls in and out of the furnace.

The soldiers stopped and one of them said, "We need one of you to hold the door open and keep the fire going while the other loads the bodies and pushes them in.

Blaine and Kurt were stunned. Although it did not show on their faces, which appeared almost trance-like.

"Tell no one about your work. Your punishment will be severe if you do."

"These are the vermin who did not survive. You will be watched closely, so make sure the work gets done."

With that one of the guards left and the other stationed himself at attention near the door, waiting for them to begin. "The bodies are in that room, there." He pointed to a doorway, connecting to the furnace room. It was full of skeletons. There is no other word to describe them, they were almost void of flesh and Blaine was sick at the sight.

Kurt put his hand over his mouth and turned away from the room, perhaps remembering his father, wondering what had befallen him.

"Blaine…I can't…I can't…"

Blaine looked at Kurt and then at the soldier waiting for them to begin. "Kurt," he said quietly, "You get the fire started and keep it going. Just hold the door open. I'll do the rest."

Kurt looked terrified, but Blaine pushed him in the direction of the furnace and Kurt did as he was told. Once the fire was ready and hot enough, Blaine took a deep breath and plunged into the room, lugging the first body out and placing it on a metal rack, then he used a fire poker to push the rack inside the flames.

Kurt quickly shut the door, so as to be spared the gruesome sight of the body going up in flames, and Blaine shuddered quickly before turning to get the next body.

They continued like this, each crying silent tears at times throughout the day. When the bell rang to stop, their tear-stained faces looked towards their guard who nodded and gestured toward the door. They didn't need any more permission than that.

The two boys hurried out of the furnace room and were escorted by their guard to the kitchens.

They rushed over to the line and were given a moldy crust of bread for their dinner that night. Then they rejoined their group and were herded to barrack 28 and back to their bunks.

They silently climbed into bed and Kurt tucked his shirt up under his head again.

Over and over in his mind, Blaine heard a repeating phrase. _What have I done? What have I done?_ He fell asleep to this mantra. Thoughts of asking Kurt about the triangle completely fled his mind.

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><p>Over the next few weeks, Blaine and Kurt slowly became conditioned to their work. After all, it wasn't exactly murder. These people were already dead. Of course the sweeping of the ashes was the hardest part but, eventually you begin to do a job without even thinking about it.<p>

On certain days, when the guard was in a better mood than normal, the two boys conversed a little. Blaine and Kurt seldom talked to anyone but one another. Holding their tongues about their job.

They spoke of the lives they had had once upon a time and the hopes they had had for the future. It seemed strange to speak of the future though, surrounded by so many whose futures had been snatched from them. So mostly they talked of the past. They talked of their families. How Kurt's father had only been brought here because of Kurt and because he had refused to let his son come alone. Kurt had almost had a stepmother and brother at one point, but Burt and Kurt and felt it best to distance themselves from them so they might have a better chance at surviving in case anything ever happened to one of them. Kurt had troubles remembering his mother, but he had been quite fond of his almost-stepmother, Carole.

Blaine told stories of his own mother and father and his childhood. He always watched for a glimpse of his parents, but since they were in different barracks and had different jobs there was not much time for mingling.

Then one day, while the two boys were working quietly, having nothing in particular to talk about that day. Blaine pulled out a body and paused. He turned around very slowly and carried the body tenderly over to the rack setting it on there carefully. It was a woman whose gray hair had once been black and whose face, you could tell, had once been beautiful.

Kurt gave him a questioning look and Blaine looked up at him, tears forming in his eyes.

He cleared his throat and tried to speak but words wouldn't come out.

Finally the guard noticed the work had stopped. "What are you doing over there? Sleeping? Get back to work."

Blaine opened his mouth again, licked his lips and said, "Kurt, push this one in will you? I'll hold the door for a moment."

Kurt swallowed, but at the look in his eyes couldn't tell Blaine no.

He moved around to the rack and took the poker from Blaine who held the somewhat heavy door open.

Then Kurt pushed the rack in and stood back so Blaine could shut the door.

Only he didn't shut it immediately. He held it just a little longer before slowly letting it shut.

Kurt looked at him curiously for a moment before turning away.

Before him stood Blaine, who walked zombie-like over to the room of bodies and wiped his eyes uselessly for a moment as a single tear began a silent cascade.

Their work continued and that night when the bell rang, Blaine didn't eat anything. He shoved his portion of the soup at Kurt and slumped his shoulders.

Kurt looked at him, worry etched onto his face. "Blaine you need to eat."

Blaine shook his head.

"What's the matter?"

Blaine shook his head again.

Looking around, Kurt snatched a crust of bread up off the ground and stuck it in his pocket. Then while he was climbing into bed that night he leaned over to Blaine.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Kurt asked, realizing how their roles had reversed.

Blaine wiped his continuous tears away as he climbed onto his bunk.

Kurt waited patiently in the silence until Blaine whispered, "That woman from earlier today," he breathed in a deep, shuddering breath, "was my mother."

Kurt swallowed a lump which had formed in his throat and then said, "Blaine, I'm so sorry."

Blaine just wiped his eyes with his sleeve again.

"Would she be worried about you?"

Blaine looked confused but nodded. "Probably. Why?"

"You didn't eat anything tonight."

Blaine sighed. "I couldn't."

"Would she want to hear that?" Kurt asked softly.

"No." Blaine answered.

"Here." Kurt reached over and handed Blaine the bread.

"Thanks Kurt." Blaine said, his voice gravelly and rouch from crying so much.

Kurt just nodded and couldn't help thinking about how helpless he had felt when his father had died.

Blaine knew, as he slowly devoured his crust, that Kurt could understand his anguish better than almost anyone at the moment. They'd both lost parents that they hadn't had the chance or the means to save.

In that moment, Blaine felt connected to Kurt. More connected to Kurt than anyone he'd ever known, except perhaps his mother.

He quietly munched on his morsel of bread and fell asleep, feeling fuller and more comforted than he ever had before. He didn't know it, but that night he dreamed and in his sleep he smiled.

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><p>There you have it, chapter two. Sorry if that was bit harsh, but what can I say. World War II was ugly.<p>

Thank you so much for all the helpful reviews and letting me know when I needed to revise. How else do I expect to get any better at my writing. Thank you all so much!

Thankies,  
>OSK<p> 


	3. Weakness and Confidence

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any glee characters used or mentioned.

Oh and please allow me a little artistic license with a few facts here. Kays? I'll be as accurate as I can but I was not actually there, so I can't be as accurate as I'd like to be. Also, sorry that this chapter is kind of slow. I needed to set some things up.

Enjoy!

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><p>It was December 1944 and Blaine and Kurt were glad for once to be working near the furnaces. They were ashamed of such thoughts, but it was so cold outside and the fires were so warm.<p>

Their guard was sitting in a chair, near the entrance to the furnace area, but every so often he would scoot his chair a little closer to the furnace and a little further from the door.

Blaine and Kurt ignored this man as they always did. Wishing he weren't there and they could 'bury' their dead in peace, so to speak.

As Blaine walked over to get the next body, Kurt swung the door shut on the furnace quickly and watched him.

His legs were unsteady and were shaking from having to carry all those people. It wasn't that they were extremely heavy, just that Blaine was growing more malnourished and weaker himself. Not that he would ever admit it to anyone. To Kurt, he didn't have to admit it. Kurt saw for himself how hard it was for Blaine to walk those few steps to the bodies and back, heaving them onto the rack.

As Blaine went back for another body, he stumbled and Kurt gasped quietly. However, Blaine regained his balance and continued walking. He grabbed another skeleton and brought it back over to the furnace, panting under the strain.

The dark-haired boy looked up at the pale face of his companion and Kurt attempted a grim smile which turned into more of a grimace.

Blaine grimaced back and turned back around for another body. They kept up their pace as usual, but Kurt was more distracted. He worried about Blaine. That stumble was only the beginning, Kurt knew. Before his father had been deemed unfit to work, there had been signs. He had stumbled more often than usual. He had had more trouble breathing than normal. He had tried to take breaks while he was not under the scrutiny of the guards, and then would jump back to action the minute one looked his way.

Kurt scrutinized Blaine's every move, picking up nuances of weakness.

When their work was done for the day and they had been escorted back to the barracks, Kurt glanced at Blaine with a worried expression.

Blaine caught his eyes and his brow furrowed as he said, "why do you keep looking at me like that Kurt?"

Kurt was a little taken aback. He had hoped his looks had been discreet. If he even looked at someone the wrong way, they were bound to be accused of being gay. "Like what?"

"Like I'm on death's doorstep or something." Blaine answered softly.

"Well," Kurt had to clear his throat before he continued. "It's just that, I remembered my dad today." He started, getting his bowl of watered-down 'soup.'

"And...?" Blaine asked getting his own bowl.

"Well," Kurt repeated. "You reminded me of him today, and not in a good way."

Blaine turned his confused, questioning gaze on him.

"Before he..." Kurt took a deep breath, "before he was considered unfit for work, he had a lot of struggles doing the work he was told to do. And lately, you've been breathing harder, and straining more to carry them. Then...when you tripped today..."

Blaine's face transformed from confusion to realization. "You're worried about me." He stated.

Kurt looked shocked. "Of course. You're my friend."

For some reason, when Kurt said "friend" Blaine's heart dropped. He felt confused and tired, very tired. "Well thanks for caring about me Kurt, but I'm fine. Really. That little stumble today was...nothing. I barely even remember it."

They had reached their bunks and both of them climbed in, turning on their sides to face the other.

Shots were fired outside, near a field set aside for 'exercising' prisoners. This was not a new occurrence and nobody screamed or really reacted, except for the prisoners that fell to the ground on the field, bullet holes in their bodies. They had to keep the furnace supplied somehow, not that anyone but Kurt Blaine and a select few others knew what happened on the other side of that wall.

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><p>It was a few weeks later, in early January before Blaine showed any sign of fatigue other than bags under his eyes. Kurt wouldn't have caught it, if it hadn't been for the guard who moved just slightly, suddenly more alert.<p>

Kurt had been shutting the furnace door, just as Blaine slumped against the wall, using it's support to hold himself up.

The guard stood, staring at Blaine and this drew Kurt's gaze as well.

Blaine hurried to straighten himself and he moved over to pick up a body.

Carrying the body back though, he stumbled and this time he couldn't catch himself. He fell to the ground and couldn't help inwardly cursing as Kurt gasped softly by the rack, ready and waiting for the next body.

A few of the others working at the other three furnaces, glanced up at the scene unfolding before them, before going back to their own work, each silently praying for Blaine's well-being.

Kurt wanted to hurry forward to help Blaine carry the body, he was suddenly terrified. He remembered the feeling he'd gotten when they'd taken his father away from him and this was what it had felt like.

He couldn't loose another person he cared about. However, as he stepped forward he was stopped in his tracks, frozen with fear.

The guard who had been sitting in the chair had walked over to Blaine and was looming above him. He bent down slowly and said quietly, so only Blaine could hear him, "This might hurt a little but it's for your own good." Then a whole lot louder, as if he were putting on a show, he said, "What do you think you're doing? No resting here! Get up!"

He pushed his fist into Blaine's side, but then Blaine felt it under his stomach and felt the hand pushing up against his ribcage.

Blaine pushed himself up as best he could and found himself on his feet, thanks to the guard's assistance. "Now get to work!" The guard yelled again, causing Kurt to jump a little.

Blaine nodded and was about to pick up the body he had dropped, when suddenly it wasn't on the ground anymore. With a look of disgust the guard had picked up the body with one had and slung it onto the rack, as if he had been showing off his strength.

Startled, Blaine hurried back to get another body as Kurt shut the furnace door and glared at the guard as discreetly as he could.

However, he sent a word of thanks to whatever higher power might exist that Blaine hadn't been deemed unfit for work.

Blaine came back with another body and everything continued on like normal for the rest of the day.

As Kurt and Blaine were being escorted out to the other side of the wall, they passed their replacements going in. Apparently the furnaces stopped for no one.

Before their guard could disappear, Blaine turned to him and quietly said, "Thank you. I don't know..." he trailed off, feeling his thanks inadequate, but they were all that he could offer to this guard.

The guard shrugged. "My best friend was Jewish," he lowered his voice even further and then said, "so is my fiance."

Blaine looked a little surprised, but only nodded and whispered a thank you once again. Then the guard left them yelling that Blaine had better not mess up again. Kurt looked at Blaine shocked.

"Why on earth did you thank him?" Kurt asked, stunned. He said it a little louder than Blaine would have wished and Blaine said, "shh," very quietly before answering. "He helped me up when I tripped."

Kurt still looked confused so Blaine told him of his experience and munched on his moldy piece of bread as he told him.

His shock was still in place as they climbed into their bunks later that evening. Kurt couldn't believe that any German soldier could be so...hypocritical. He was being cruel to Jews and numerous other groups of people, yet his best friend had been Jewish. His fiance was Jewish and there was no telling where she was.

"How can someone be so...so two-faced like that?"

"He's scared." Blaine said, a sudden epiphany coming to him. "I'm sure he's not the only one out there like that. Him and his fiance probably got engaged before all of this..." he gestured around at the camp before continuing, "started. Then when the laws started changing more rapidly, they 'broke it off' or something and she went into hiding."

Kurt was a little taken aback but didn't say anything. "Well, he should've married her anyway."

"That wouldn't have done either one of them any good Kurt." Blaine said quietly. "Isn't that why you and your father distanced yourselves from, uh..."

"Carole?" Kurt asked.

"Right, Carole and her son, Finn right? You didn't want them being dragged into all of this with you. It was bad enough your dad put himself in that situation. Neither one of you could stand harming Carole and Finn. So you made sure to put some distance between the four of you."

Kurt was quiet. What Blaine was saying was true, but he didn't want to admit it.

"I bet he has his family hiding her or keeping tabs on her for him." Blaine said.

Kurt nodded and said, "it was my dad's idea to remove ourselves from Finn and Carole's lives. He could have just turned me in himself and then married Carole. He should have." Kurt said, looking on the verge of tears, even though he didn't have any more tears to cry.

Blaine gave Kurt a shocked look. "Kurt, your father wasn't about to let you come here and go it alone. He supported you when you needed him the most and he loved you. He wouldn't have done what he did otherwise."

Kurt nodded, but didn't say anything.

Blaine continued. "You amaze me, Kurt. You aren't scared to be who you are. Somehow they haven't been able to take that from you. They've tried but you just keep on clinging to who you are, even after they discriminated against you and branded you." He said, gesturing towards the pink triangle on Kurt's shirt.

"Yes, well it's not exactly high fashion, but then again I don't have many choices in here, so I figure the pink triangle was as good as I was going to get." He smiled and Blaine smiled back.

"How do you do it Kurt? How do you stay true to who you are? How have you survived here?"

"Well, there's still plenty of time for me to mess up, but I think the reason I can be who I am is _because_ they branded me. That combined with the fact that my father came here with me and loved me without condition and accepted me for who I was has definitely helped. If he had rejected me, I probably would have done the same thing, and I don't know who I would be today. It's because of him mostly that I can be myself. I'm living for him now."

Blaine nodded and wished he could've had half the relationship with his father that Kurt had had with Burt.

That night, Blaine went to sleep thinking of all that Kurt had told him and wishing he could be that open with anyone, including himself. Blaine hid himself behind the facade his parent's created for him. He hid because his mother hid, his father hid, and for as long as he could remember that was what he'd been taught to do. Blaine realized that night that he didn't even know himself anymore and he vowed to figure out who he really was before he died, whenever that might be.

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><p>December rolled by quickly and moved into January faster than Blaine had ever remembered it doing before.<p>

He hadn't even realized they had missed passover and Christmas until Kurt told him Merry Christmas on December 25th.

They didn't have any gifts to exchange so they told each other what they most wanted for Christmas, once Dachau was, if it ever was, liberated.

"I want to see Carole and Finn again." Kurt said. "I want to tell Carole my Dad loved her, and she was the closest thing I had to a mother in...well a long time."

Blaine would've asked about Kurt's Mom, but just then a guard strolled up towards their furnace and they had to be quiet.

When he walked away again, Kurt asked, "So what do you want for Christmas once this is all over."

"I want...to find someone who brings out the best in me, and loves me for who I am. No judgments, no unreasonable expectations, and no hiding behind a fake me that had been invented for me."

Kurt nodded. "Don't we all wish for that." He said wistfully.

Then they wasted away the rest of the day, coming up with luxuries that they'd love to have, just for fun.

Now it was a a stark and cold January and thoughts of Christmas wishes were gone. Blaine and Kurt couldn't do much other than focus on their 'job' and the seemingly endless number of bodies.

Blaine worried, secretly, that they'd been doing this job to long. Eventually the guards would decide he and Kurt were risky to keep around. They knew to much, Blaine didn't know if they'd make it to liberation whenever it came, but then he realized he couldn't do anything to help them by worrying about it so he tried to push those unpleasant thoughts to the back of his mind.

Kurt was also a favorite topic in his mind. He felt a strange need to protect Kurt. Strange because Kurt had made it this far as well as could be expected. True he'd had his father before, but Blaine could tell Kurt was a strong person. He figured his motivation for wanting to protect Kurt was because he cared about him like a little brother. Though, when Blaine thought about it, he just didn't see Kurt like a little brother. He saw Kurt as an equal, but simmering underneath all of his thoughts, Blaine knew it was more than that. Subconsciously he could tell there was more to his and Kurt's relationship.

Kurt on the other hand, knew exactly what he felt for Blaine. It made protecting him all the more difficult. He couldn't stand to have Blaine associated with him in that way. Blaine was here because he was a Jew. Kurt was here because he was gay. The difference was the world in general looked on Jews more kindly than homosexuals. At least, outside of Germany. Kurt was sure of it. So he tried not to look at Blaine directly, or touch him too often.

His actions only confused Blaine further and he spent most of January muddling through exactly how he felt about Kurt.

His epiphany came right at the end of January.

The two boys had been working together now for 3 or so months and Blaine realized how awkward Kurt acted around him. Sort of how girls had acted around Blaine in school. They giggled and gaped and the girls who were more shy avoided eye contact and tended to keep their hands close to their bodies.

Blaine had turned down more girls than he could count. Not because they were unattractive, some of them had been very pretty. Simply because Blaine was not attracted in the same way to any of them.

With Kurt things were different, he acted like a school girl with a crush sometimes, but there was an underlying fear in his eyes that also held him back and Blaine realized it hurt to see Kurt holding back his feelings. Blaine needed Kurt and cared about Kurt almost more than his father and certainly more than his own life. He just didn't fully grasp how to deal with the new found knowledge that he liked Kurt in that way.

The only thing he was sure of was he cared about Kurt and Kurt deserved someone who could always be there for him and protect him and his rights to like whom ever he wanted.

Hey, I'm sorry this chapter was really slow. I just needed some time to set some things up and hopefully the next chapter will move faster. We're nearing a major point in the story and I hope I do it justice. It may or may not come up in the next chapter, but in the next two for sure. Also I do plan on having a few other Glee characters in this story, but they'll come in later on.

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><p>Anyways, remember <strong>REVIEWS<strong> = LOVE! 3

Thankies,  
>OSK<p> 


	4. Together at the End

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Glee, or WWII related places, etc.

Okay so thank you all so much for the reviews and the favorites and alerts, I am just gushing enthusiasm to anyone who will listen to me about how amazed I am at the amount of support this story has gotten and continues to get. I hope you've all enjoyed the story thus far and continue to stick with it. Thanks!

Especially thanks to **aussieflugel** for her help in fixing my historical inaccuracies! And to everyone else who has reviewed, you keep me writing so thanks! c:

Enjoy! Oh and please review, they have really been pushing me to continue this story and update in a more timely manner than ever before. So if you hate waiting for updates and are an impatient person, REVIEW! :) Again, thanks.

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><p>As January turned into February, Blaine and Kurt found themselves lucky to still be working in the crematory.<p>

The three other pairs of forced laborers had been replaced. The last pair had been replaced only as recently as last week. The way Blaine figured it, he and Kurt only had a month, maybe two before they were replaced.

No one had to ask what happened to them once they stopped working here.

For a while Blaine felt bad about stepping forward that day, stepping towards the edge of a dangerous cliff where if one wasn't careful the ground beneath one's feet might just slip away. Blaine felt bad because he had hoped Kurt would step forward that day with him, and when he did, he'd been dragged along with Blaine to the edge of the precipice. All they could do now was peer over the edge and hope and wait for the best.

When Kurt found out about Blaine guilt tripping himself he decided to set the record straight. It was getting late, the sun had set an hour or so ago and Blaine and Kurt had just climbed into their bunks.

Blaine turned on his side to face Kurt like he always did and Kurt said quietly to Blaine, "Whatever happens...it's not your fault you know."

"Hmm?" Blaine asked, confused. He hadn't spoken a word of his worries to Kurt.

"With us being replaced. I can tell it's been on your mind since last week Blaine."

Blaine was about to deny it, but Kurt gave him a stern look that said, 'don't argue with me on this.'

Kurt heard Blaine sigh quietly in the dark before he said, "If I hadn't stepped forward, we'd be..."

"We'd be doing more strenuous labor over here. There's no point in thinking 'what if.' If we were gonna play that game, I'd say, 'what if Hitler had never been born?"

Blaine nodded but didn't say what he was thinking. _Yeah, but at least on this side of the wall our 'job contracts' wouldn't be terminated so quickly._

Even with Kurt's reassurances, he continued to worry and while they worked Blaine kept his eyes wide open. He studied Kurt, looking for any weakness, any hint that Kurt was running out of time.

He took stock of himself, and made sure he never so much as stumbled or shook while he carried the bodies to the oven.

He kept an eye on the guards, looking for any displeasure from any of them, not just the one nearest to their oven.

When the guards murmured, Blaine strained his ears trying to listen in on their conversation.

As the end of February neared, more and more prisoners were getting sick. They were becoming infected with Typhus, transmitted by body lice. Ugly purple rashes, headaches, and fever were becoming more and more common, and in the worst cases delirium caused them to be unable to work.

With this added to the fact that they were the next due to be replaced in the ovens, Blaine almost drove himself crazy.

The first week or so of March, Kurt woke up sniffling. Blaine was alert almost immediately and jumped off his bunk to get a better look at Kurt.

"It's just a runny nose Blaine. No need to worry." Kurt brushed him off, jumping down as well.

"Kurt, what if it turns into something worse. You're sure you don't have a fever?" He asked worriedly, putting his hand against Kurt's forehead.

"Of course I'm sure. It's just the weather warming up."

They got their morsel of food for the morning and were hurried to the ovens, all the while Blaine keeping his eye on Kurt more often than before.

As distracted and worried about Kurt as he was, Blaine found it hard to concentrate on doing his job. He would grab a body and place it on the rack, then when he should've gone quickly back for another one, he would study Kurt's face and countenance.

When Kurt noticed this, he snapped Blaine out of his concentration and said, "hey, quit it. They're going to think you like me or something. Come on."

Blaine smiled and winked cheekily at Kurt quickly before turning around and grabbing another body from the stacks that were piled up like cord wood.

Kurt turned red and cast his eyes downward as he shut the oven door on yet another human being who hadn't had enough time to live.

_He's just teasing me._ Kurt thought, sniffing quietly so as not to alert the guards to his 'condition.'

The more Kurt thought about it though, the more he wished Blaine really did like him as more than a friend. But he wouldn't let himself think like that. He'd learned not to get his hopes up. So he continued on with his work, making sure Blaine didn't get distracted again.

The weeks went on and while it wasn't warm by any means, the climate was changing slowly. The snow was melting day by day and the winds were becoming drier and drier.

Blaine almost wished it would snow again though. The lack of moisture mixed with the cold winds chilled him to the bone and he was glad Kurt worked closer to the ovens than he did.

Kurt still didn't show any signs of typhus, but he was by no means as healthy as he could be. Everyday he looked more and more skeletal, more malnourished, more fragile.

In the mornings, Blaine would look around their barrack, searching out those with Typhus and attempting to avoid them. Eventually the guards would come around and quarantine those with Typhus in a barrack set aside especially for them. They couldn't afford to let their precious labor force become infected. So they separated the sick and waited for them to die. When the guards got impatient, they helped the process along a little.

Every night more moaning could be heard from the loved ones of those who were quarantined. The ones still left anyway.

With Blaine's mind working on overtime, he tensed up, and stumbled more often than normal. They were running out of time, out of space, and out of fuel for the fires. Their supplies of wood and coal were dwindling. Blaine didn't know what would happen to them when they ran out.

Kurt laughed when Blaine voiced his worry about the fuel for the fires. "Maybe we'll get to relax for once. Maybe we'll finally get to use some vacation time." Kurt smiled trying to get Blaine to agree with him and stop worrying for once.

But Blaine's somber mood wouldn't be pushed aside so easily. "Yeah Kurt. We'll get a vacation. One we won't return from."

Kurt sighed in frustration and swung the oven door shut. "We'll be fine Blaine. We'll make it through this. Together." He attempted a smile again, finding it harder and harder to accomplish these days.

"Yeah, or it will end. It will all be over." Blaine looked down as he grabbed another body.

Behind him Kurt sighed. "Yeah, it will end. It will all be over. My only consolation is...we'll be together at the end of it all."

Blaine stumbled as Kurt said those words and he looked over at the small, fragile boy before him. Their guard cleared his throat and stood up, giving Blaine a warning.

Kurt looked at Blaine imploringly, trying to get him to move and Blaine quickly took their hints, grabbing up the body he had almost dropped and hoisting it onto the rack.

That night, all Blaine could think about was what Kurt had said, those words repeating over and over in his mind, keeping beat with the rhythm in his heart. _Together at the end of it all. Together at the end of it all._

Yay! Halfway through March and almost into Ap

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><p>ril. In the story obviously as it's June 2011 right now, lol. So I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, I wanted to show more of what Blaine was thinking, I know I showed some of that at the end of the last chapter, but I guess I just wanted to elaborate. The next chapter will probably be loaded with more action than this one. I can't wait to get that chapter written so I'll probably start working on it as soon as this one is up.<p>

Anyways, thanks to everyone who has supported this story and I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

Liked it? Hated it? Cried? Or have any historical inaccuracies to point out? Let me know, and REVIEW! Kays?

Thankies,  
>OSK<p> 


	5. April 29, 1945

**Disclaimer:** I no own glee, or grammar good, or syntax good apparently c: Mrs. Coon (My last English Teacher and probably my favorite) would mortified be, lol.

Oh yay! Another chappie coming up and I am so excited. I already have the epilogue to this story started, but the rough draft I have going is subject to change because at the moment it is missing two characters I may or may not include in it depending on how the rest of the story goes, but at least I have everything basically planned out, right? That means I won't have quiet as much writer's block as I normally would have.

Anyways, thanks again for all your guys support, it means more to me then you'll ever know. I may actually write historical fiction with my own original characters someday because of all of you guys. So thank you, and please enjoy this next chapter.

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><p>As March 1945 turned into April 1945, the weather got just a degree warmer, the weather turned wet and rainy, and their dwindling supply of fuel for the fires got even smaller.<p>

The biggest change was Blaine's mood. He no longer worried as much. Whatever happened was going to happen, no matter how much he worried about him and Kurt and the end, whenever that would be. He couldn't do anything, stuck behind the guard towers, the electric fences, and the moat around Dachau, so why worry about what you couldn't change.

He even learned to smile again, at least on the inside. His face felt stuck in a perpetual blank state.

Kurt remarked once while they were working that it was lucky that the bodies were in a building so they were dry. That comment at any other time, or any other moment would have sounded too morbid to be coming out of his mouth.

However considering the conditions they were under, it didn't sound morbid at all, it sounded strangely to Blaine like optimism. The silver-lining out of all of this.

He admired Kurt for it. Everyday was a surprise for Blaine. Everyday he noticed something different about Kurt. This just went further to confirm the stirrings he had been having in the back of his mind since sometime back in December. Blaine _was_ like Kurt, and not only was he _like_ Kurt, but he _liked_ Kurt as well. Of that he was sure, he didn't know exactly how Kurt felt about him, but suddenly Blaine couldn't see his future without Kurt in it, in a very big way.

Then something happened to dampen Blaine's brightening mood a little bit.

They ran out of _coal!_

Blaine's worst nightmare come true! They were sent to their barracks early that day and they were not given food that night. All they could do was lay on their bunks, somewhat silently as guards stood watch outside.

The authority of the camp was tensing, and all of the prisoners could tell something was going to happen, and soon.

The next morning, they were about halfway through April, Kurt and Blaine were shoved toward the Typhus barrack and told, "gather the dead and stack them with the others near the ovens."

Their job had just changed, saving their lives...for now.

Blaine took a deep breath as they walked among the sick and dying, separating the dead from the living.

His second worst nightmare, catching typhus, was suddenly at the forefront of his mind, more so for Kurt than for himself. He was pretty sure Kurt's runny nose was actually pneumonia, making him even more susceptible to typhus.

He watched as Kurt knelt down next to a body and tried to find a pulse, any pulse, hoping he had found a live one. Hoping this person was simply trying to sleep off the fever, a symptom of typhus.

He shook his head and pushed his arms under the legs and head of the body and standing slowly, walked towards the door.

Blaine didn't know how Kurt had the strength to do it, he looked to fragile to be carrying any body, live or otherwise, but somehow he managed it.

Blaine followed Kurt's example and looked for someone who was actually gone before picking them up and carrying them to the pile of bodies.

When they got back to the typhus barrack, there was a 'doctor' there. He pointed to two people and said, "Grab them and follow me."

Kurt and Blaine glanced at each other, before hurrying to grab the still-living skeletons and following the doctor to another barrack close by.

As they entered they saw other prisoners, scattered about, some were shivering from cold, others were sniffling from runny noses. The doctor pointed to two uncomfortable looking cots and said, "There." Then he turned his back to Blaine and Kurt who tried to hurry out of there.

"What are they doing in there?" Kurt asked Blaine.

Blaine looked back at the barrack and said, "I don't know Kurt. I don't think it was anything I want to find out about personally."

Kurt nodded and they continued, along with the other furnace workers, to carry bodies to where the rest of the bodies were stored.

The next morning they were told to russel up the dead from inside their barrack and then do the same with the other barracks before going back to the 'hospital barrack.' Apparently, some of the other barracks had started quarantining themselves because of all the sickness going around.

The hospital barrack held medical supplies, but there were only so many actual doctors in the camp, and half of them didn't have the supplies they needed to help the sick prisoners.

They were also given orders to report to the doctor from the day before and ask if he had anyone who needed moving.

When they asked the doctor, he looked them over and said, "no, none of my patients need to be moved today."

Blaine got chills up his spine as they walked away and went back into the hospital barrack.

As they carried bodies, day in and day out, Kurt grew short of breath more often and Blaine just began to worry all over again. Kurt assured him, he had nothing to worry about. It was natural for him to be out of breath sooner than Blaine. Blaine had been doing this for months while Kurt had simply pulled open a heavy oven door, pushed in a rack and let the door swing shut. It was a lot less strenuous physically than what Blaine had been doing for 5 or so months.

When Blaine remembered he'd only been there for 5 months, give or take a few days, he sighed and felt his bones ache. He felt more tired than he ever had in his lifetime.

Kurt patted his shoulder sympathetically and went in search of his next corpse.

They continued working through the week and Blaine thought to himself grimly,_ fuel we may run out of, but bodies are endlessly supplied to us._

Their days became routine to them again, and while Blaine watched out for Kurt and always made sure he could handle carrying the body he had found before selecting his own, he knew that if the SS guards were going to decide it was Kurt's time, there was not really much he could do. All he could hope, was that he would be killed beside Kurt.

Blaine knew if the camp ever was liberated, he and Kurt would be the first to be taken care of by the guards, before the camp was turned over in surrender. The NAZIs couldn't afford to have to many living witnesses of their crimes.

One morning, Blaine woke up and looked around. People were crawling out of their bunks over their bunk mates that had died during the night. They were moving the diseased prisoners and the dead bodies out of their barracks and into their respected piles.

There had been a strange lull in work for those that weren't carrying bodies or taking care of the sick. They had not been completely work free, but Blaine could tell something was up. There was a change in the guards attitudes. They seemed, nervous, as if they had received some bad news the night before and were still trying to figure out how to handle it.

Blaine and Kurt held a silent conversation as they transported bodies, through the looks they were giving one another, about the change in mood of the guards and indeed the whole camp.

Both boys vaguely heard a train pull up next to the camp that morning, blowing its whistle, but their minds didn't completely register that it was there. Whatever it was it didn't concern them. They heard several shots fired that day, just outside the camp, but they were too used to the sound of gunshots to really be phased.

What really surprised the boys and jolted them out of their routine, took place later that day, some time during the afternoon.

Shots were heard being fired from a guard tower, but they were not shooting down into the camp as they normally did. This particular guard tower was near one of the gates that led into Dachau.

Almost at the same time as the gunfire, on the other side of the camp, at the main gates, 3 men, two SS officers and a Swiss Red Cross officer entered the camp holding a white flag attached to a stick. Following them was a green jeep with three men dressed in green camouflage. Another jeep with three other men began entering the camp at the same time, and the prisoners cautiously walked out towards the fence that separated them from this miraculous sight.

The shooting from the other side of the camp stopped and Blaine and Kurt set down the bodies they were carrying to walk over towards the fence. Many of the prisoners were crowding around the fence now, hoping for a glimpse at what many of them were realizing, were their liberators!

Kurt strained unsteadily on his feet for a look at their saviors. Blaine became distracted by the attempt at a smile on Kurt's face, and cautiously, nervously even, Blaine reached out and grabbed Kurt's hand, giving it a slight squeeze.

Kurt stopped craning his neck and looked down at their hands, before looking up at Blaine, unsure if this was all actually happening.

Blaine was glad Kurt had stopped watching the fence, because at that moment, one of the prisoners fell into the fence and died from the electric shock still coursing through the chain-link metal.

However, Blaine saw this and protectively, pulled Kurt away from the fence, a little bit worried about the pushing crowd. On the other side of the fence, the men in the jeeps were yelling at the guards and were ordering the men down from the guard towers and the electric fence turned off.

Kurt noticed a commotion going on behind them and Blaine turned around to see what had Kurt so distracted.

A boy, about their age, although it was hard to tell since he was half-starved, along with a few other inmates were hurrying as quickly as they could towards the guards still on their side of the fence. They were latching onto the guards, pulling at their clothes and bashing their heads in with rocks and their bare hands, then when the guard stopped putting up a fight, the prisoners left them on the ground for dead.

Soon, more and more soldiers in green camouflage were entering the camp from two different directions and Kurt had started crying he was so relieved.

Blaine, still holding Kurt's hand, pulled him out of the way and they sat down on the ground, leaning against one the barracks.

He was so tired, and so relieved, it hurt. His mind and body were being flooded with more emotions than he had felt in so many months, they were giving him a headache.

Kurt leaned against Blaine's shoulder, his eyes already drooping as he realized he could rest for now and no one was going to yell at him. Blaine looked down on Kurt's almost serene, pale face, and then tilted his head back to look at the sky, leaning it against the building.

Just then someone walked slowly over to where Blaine and Kurt were. He was dragging his feet and he sat down quite close next to Blaine, who became alert, even though his personal bubble had ceased to exist months ago.

Blaine looked up and paused as he tried to figure out what the face looking down at him would have looked like if it had been healthy. Surprise sparked in his mind as he realized the man sitting down beside him was his father.

The older man looked at his son and studied his features before looking down at the boy who had his head on Blaine's shoulder and his hand in Blaine's.

"Blaine." The man, said, looking away from his son and out across the camp.

Blaine cleared his throat and rasped out quietly, "Father."

They were silent and Blaine felt Kurt slowly losing all consciousness.

"What is that on that boys uniform?" His father asked him.

"A pink triangle." Blaine answered, quietly but clearly.

"So why is he appearing so intimate with you?" His father asked, still able to sound stern, even though they hadn't spoken to one another in months.

"We've been each others company for months-" Blaine began but his father cut him off.

"Is that any excuse? If you let yourself be seen with him, you'll be branded one of _them_."

Blaine could barely register that they were having this conversation. He and his father had never been the closest. Blaine had always been much more like his mother, leaning towards compassion rather than strict discipline. However, there had never been this feeling of animosity between them. Blaine had always known his father cared about him, even if he didn't always show it.

Now though, those feelings of mutual trust, respect, and love were gone. Replaced with an empty hollow feeling that lingered in the air between them.

"He's my friend. I care about Kurt." Blaine said, defending the fact that he liked Kurt without coming right out and saying he was homosexually inclined.

Blaine's father found he couldn't even bare to look at his son. He no longer had anything further to say and while he still cared about his son, his feelings were confused, muddled and might have been changing. "This goes against something we believe in Blaine. This is not acceptable in our society."

Blaine could do nothing other than shrug slightly before remembering Kurt's head rested on his shoulder.

His father sighed as he strained to get to his feet. He watched his father, feeling emotionless and numb once again, before remembering there was something his father should probably be informed of.

"Dad." His father stopped and looked down with a blank expression on Blaine.

"Mother...she's...gone."

His father simply stared off into the distance for a moment before nodding to himself and walking away. Deep down, Blaine couldn't help but feel his father had already known that. This conversation between them left Blaine believing that his father had felt they were both lost to him the moment they drove under the gates of this godforsaken camp.

Kurt nestled his head a little deeper into Blaine's chest and Blaine watched his father walk away until he couldn't be distinguished from the other prisoners. Then Blaine rested his cheek on top of Kurt's head and closed his eyes tight, holding back the few tears that welled up on his eyelids. He didn't cry for his father as long as he cried for his mother, but he did cry, feeling his father's presence in his life slip away from him.

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><p>Okay, so I don't actually hold chapters back for lack of review. Even though at the beginning of the story I did threaten to. Hey, you can't hate me for wanting feedback, can you?<p>

Anyways, I would love it if you guys would continue reviewing and giving me feedback, I absolutely love reviews, they are like my heroine, lol not that I use any of that stuff. So yeah, reviews are lovely and I love to read them!

Thankies for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and the story is not quite over yet, THANKS!

OSK


	6. Fever, Puck's Past, and Soup

**Disclaimer:** I do not own glee or the poem below. Those lines are snippets from "Paradise Lost." Type them into google and sparknote them for the full poem. It's really long.

Here's the next chapter for the next week and a couple of days. Enjoy!

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><p><em>With shuddering horror pale, and eyes aghast,<em>  
><em>Viewed first their lamentable lot, and found<em>  
><em>No rest...<em>

_A universe of death, which God by curse_  
><em>Created evil, for evil only good;<em>  
><em>Where all life dies, death lives...<em>

_Abominable, inutterable, and worse..._

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><p>Blaine looks up at the sky and fully wakes with a start. It is snowing. The weather had been warming but the temperature had not risen yet above mid-40s. (7ish degrees Celcius)<p>

As Blaine rubs the sleep from his eyes, he realizes how tired he must have been to have fallen asleep outside. He remembers the day before, April 29,1945, and he recalls vaguely having a talk with his father before the lack of energy and food caught up with him and he fell asleep, resting next to...Kurt.

He glances down at the boy's still sleeping form and at the short chestnut hair that has started to grow back since his arrival and the customary shave.

Blaine reaches up to feel his scalp and realizes his hair has begun to grow back as well, in short black curls. Like his mother's hair.

He feels a pang of grief as he remembers he will never see his mother again, and at the fact that his father seems to wish for nothing more than to have nothing to do with him.

As he takes stock of his surroundings, Blaine sees more people entering and leaving the camp, showing badges or passes to the new American military guards that man the gates. It is safe to assume the inmates will not be leaving very soon.

He looks to his left and sees a boy, about his age, huddled against the building trying to stay warm and look tough at the same time. He is wearing the prisoner's stripes and glares at Blaine when he sees that he is being studied.

"What are you lookin' at?" He asks in German, although the accent sounds more polish.

Blaine identifies a star of david on the boys shirt, faded into an obscure gray now. Blaine just shakes his head in answer to the question, not wanting to wake Kurt by speaking.

"That's what I thought." The boy says, again attempting to look fierce, and only failing because he lacks nutrition like everyone else here.

Blaine continues to study the boy, trying to figure out just why he looks familiar. Blaine didn't think he was in their barrack. Then he realizes this is the boy from yesterday. The one he saw beating the guard, along with a few other inmates.

Blaine trys to quietly clear his throat as he says, "you beat the guard yesterday." It is a statement of fact, not a question, but the boy seems to consider it as such.

"Yeah, and he deserved it. I ripped this from his uniform, before leaving him dead, as proof." In his hand he holds a slightly battered patch of a skull laying on top of two crossing bones, somewhat similar to the symbol for pirates, although this skull and cross bones don't show where the bones cross. That is hidden behind the skull. It is a patch that strikes fear into every prisoner and Blaine can understand why the boy has kept it.

However hated the guard may have been, Blaine cannot fathom why he would kill him so brutally. The guard that had helped Blaine wasn't all bad, he'd just been forced into the job and Blaine cannot condone doing to the guards what they had done to many of the prisoners. It was too hypocritical.

Still, Blaine thought of his mother, Kurt, and even his father and realized he would have done the same thing as the boy. He realizes there is both good and bad in people, and how they act depends on how people seem them.

The boy pulls his hand back, as if he's afraid Blaine will steal his precious token from him.

"I'm Puck by the way. That's what I go by anyway."

Blaine nodded and said, "I'm Blaine. Blaine Anderson." He feels funny using his last name, as if it no longer belongs to him, but he pushes such thoughts aside as Kurt shifts next to him.

Blaine reaches his arm around Kurt, trying to keep him warm in the cold, and reaches up to run his hand softly through Kurt's hair. As he does this his hand brushes Kurt's forehead and Blaine becomes alarmed.

Kurt is running an incredibly high fever. Blaine's hands are cold and at first he isn't sure, but as he holds his hand to Kurt's forhead and feels Kurt shiver beneath him, he remebers his mothers fever on the train and he gets an ache in the pit of his stomach. Kurt's actually sweating slightly and Blaine knows he shouldn't be out in the cold like this. He shifts a little and places his arm under Kurt's legs. Then he tries to stand cradling Kurt in his arms and stumbles almost falling and dropping Kurt in the process. He needs to at least get him inside and find a medical officer but he can't seem to stand and support both his and Kurt's weight.

The boy shifts slightly and says, "here." He slings one of Kurt's arms over his shoulders and Blaine follows suit, standing back up. Kurt's legs now hang limply between them but it's the best they can do.

"Where are you taking him?"

Blaine scans the camp. There are a few medical officers, wide-eyed and trying to take stock of their surroundings.

"To them." Blaine says, motioning forward.

Puck looks and nods and then both begin walking.

As they reach the men Blaine quickly says, "Please, sirs, my friend. He has a fever he needs medical attention."

The men glance at Blaine and then at Puck before their eyes rest on Kurt. They say something in a language Blaine doesn't understand, but he thinks he can identify as english.

One of the officers stutteringly says in German, "speak a little...slower please."

Blaine nods and slowly enunciates every word. "My friend," he gestures to Kurt, "has a fever. Fever." He repeats a little desperately.

The medic nods and informs his colleagues of the problem.

They study Kurt for a moment and sigh a little in relief before informing Blaine, "be thankful. He has pnuemonia. It is bad, but at least it is not typhus fever or typhoid fever." All during this exchange, Puck is silent but at this halting German he becomes annoyed.

"Well what the hell are you going to do about it?" He asks a little harshly.

Blaine agrees with Puck, although he would not have phrased his question quite that rudely. These men have just arrived today and are still trying to get used to the idea of having to accept these atrocities around them and treat all of the ill as well as the healthy (or as healthy as can be).

The medical officer looks at his colleagues and then reaches into his pocket. He pulls out a a small round pill and a small C-ration cracker.

"Give him this." He held up the cracker. "And then after ten or fifteen minutes, give him this." He held up the pill. He handed them to Blaine and shrugged, signaling that was the best he could do.

Blaine nodded his thanks and motioned for Puck to help him get Kurt inside somewhere.

The two boys hurry Kurt into an over-crowded barrack. There are no available bunks and Blaine scans the entire room in a slight frenzy.

Suddenly Blaine is almost buckling under Kurt's slight weight as he regains his balance, although Kurt's head lolls to the side Puck had been supporting.

Blaine watches as Puck strolls over to two prisoners laying on a bottom bunk. He stoops to look straight in their eyes and speaks softly, in a low menacing voice.

The two men can't get out of the bunk fast enough and half trip over each other as they scramble to the other side of the barrack to rest on the floor.

Puck motions for Blaine and he struggles over to the bunk with Kurt. "What did you say to them?"

Puck just shrugged and helped Blaine get Kurt on the bunk. "Nothing too important or threatening."

Kurt looked so small and delicate on the bunk and Blaine climbed on beside him. "Do you wanna get yourself sick too?" Puck asked him, sitting down on the floor next to the bunk.

"No, but he needs to keep warm. Well warm enough. If he keeps freezing like this it will only get worse." Blaine propped himself up on his elbow slightly and tried to get Kurt to take the cracker. He knew Kurt was at least awake, considering they'd carried him in a most uncomfortable manner.

"Kurt, I need you to open your eyes if you can. If not at least try and eat this."

He pushed the cracker against Kurt's lips and they parted slightly. Slowly, Kurt nibbled on the cracker. As the morsel of food diminished piece by piece, Blaine let out a sigh of relief. It felt good to get something into Kurt. The boy had probably been skinny enough when he got here.

Then Blaine lay back and wrapped his arms around Kurt trying to keep him warm and get his temperature to drop just a little at the same time.

Puck watched all of this fascinated. He'd never seen such compassion before. No one had ever really cared about him or looked at him the way Blaine was looking at Kurt.

His mother had been left by his father, so he was literally a bastard child. She'd had to work at a really trying job for very little pay and most of that had gone to rent for their little closet of an apartment.

Their next door neighbors had been two men and their daughter. Who had concieved their daughter was a very good question, but in his neighborhood, Puck wouldn't have been surprised to find out one of those men was actually a woman.

His mother had been friends with the family and so Puck and their daughter, Rachel, had been thrown togethre since they were little. They were the same age and they had slowly developed a relationship. They had a sort of dysfunctional brother/sister relationship and she and Puck had reeked havoc on their small town.

Rachel would create a distraction while Puck managed to snag their families dinners for that night.

When his family had been taken from their homes, he and Rachel had been seperated from their parents, he had promised Rachel's father's he would look out for her and he had, up until she had been sent to one of Dachau's satellite work camps.

When her father's had asked him to look after Rachel, he'd seen the same look of compassion, and while he and his mother loved each other, their eyes never shown like that when they looked at or spoke of each other.

Now here was Blaine, a complete and total stranger, whom Puck and decided to help for some reason.

Maybe he'd seen the look of panic in his eyes when he realized Kurt had a fever. Whatever the reason, Puck looked away, because what he saw made him wish for the same thing.

Kurt had stopped shivering now and Puck turned back to see Blaine ease Kurt into a sitting position. As close to a sitting position as he could manage, with the close bunk above them. Then he eased the pill into Kurt's mouth and told Kurt he needed to swallow it.

Then Kurt lay back down and curled up next to Blaine.

"Right well," Puck said, moving to stand up, "I've got to go. I have someone I need to find."

"Oh, right." Blaine said, reaching out his hand. "Good luck with that, and thanks."

Puck shook Blaine's hand and then quickly left the building, looking back only once, to find Blaine slowly resting his arm across Kurt's torso, trying to act as a blanket. Then he crossed to the gate and tried to walk past the guards at the gate.

"Excuse me sir. I'm afraid we can't let you leave until you've been deloused and checked out, as well as filled out some information."

"What?" Puck said loudly.

"Those men over there are going through the process of helping any displaced persons."

"I have to find someone though. They're in a different camp close by here!"

"I'm sure they're trying to find you as well. If you both fill out a card, maybe they can help you find one another."

Puck gave a disgusted growl and turned around heading back to the barrack Blaine and Kurt we.

He slouched against the wall next to the bunk and stared at the ground.

"Did you find who you were looking for?" Blaine asked quietly.

Puck shook his head. "They won't let me leave."

'Oh,' Blaine mouthed.

Puck nodded and hung his head, closing his eyes and hoping for sleep.

The next morning Blaine was woken by a sound that began near the door of the barrack they had taken Kurt into. There was a cart with a steaming pot on it. Blaine's stomach felt a pang of hunger and he looked down at Kurt before slowly edging off the bunk.

Kurt's fever hadn't diminished but it hadn't gotten any worse either. Blaine figured that was a blessing at the very least.

Puck also woke due to the noise of the ladel clanging against the pot and he hurried over to the kitchen workers who were serving the soup in equal proportions, stepping over a few dead prisoners that had not been cleared out yet and were littering the ground.

Blaine held his bowl carefully and threaded his way back to Kurt's bunk. Kurt was awake thankfully and he blinked his wide blue-gray eyes at Blaine, slowly sitting up. Blaine gave Kurt a wide smile, holding out the bowl of soup. "Do you think you can eat this on your own, or do you need help?"

Kurt held out his hands and Blaine carefully passed him the bowl, before turning around to grab another bowl for himself.

To his surprise, Puck was standing there holding out a bowl to him in one hand, while the other hand balanced his own bowl.

He gave puck a questioning glance, taking the proffered bowl.

"I knew you'd give him yours." Puck explained, shrugging.

Blaine smiled and remembering his manners said, "thank you."

Puck nodded and sat by the wall again.

Kurt glanced between Blaine and Puck, a frown on his face.

Luckily Blaine noticed and chuckled lightly saying, "This is Puck. He helped me carry you in here yesterday.

Kurt nodded and smiled, sipping delicately from his bowl. The portions were still small on the orders of the medics who were there. Their stomachs couldn't handle too much food, or anything too nutritious at the moment. They had to take it slow, so the soup was still a little bland. It was still better than anything they'd had at Dachau before liberation.

Once the three boys were done eating, Blaine stood up holding his hands out for the bowls so he could take them back to the cart. Puck shook his head and pushed Blaine's hand away, standing up to grab the other two boy's bowls and hurrying off in the direction of the door.

Blaine smiled softly and climbed back onto the bunk next to Kurt who was slouching down and whose eyes were drooping, but weren't quite closing.

"You should go to sleep, you need your rest." Blaine said soothingly.

Kurt smiled and nodded, allowing his eyes to close lightly.

Blaine lay down next to Kurt who rested his head on Blaine's chest while Blaine wrapped his arm around Kurt and threaded his hands together.

When Puck came back they were both asleep again and he sighed, wandering outside to see if there was any physical work he could do to get his mind off of Rachel, Kurt, and Blaine.

* * *

><p>So what did you think? Like it? Hate it? Review it? Lol, please drop me a line and let me know what you thought.<p>

Thankies for all the support and I have to let you know, I have a camping trip coming up. So from July 1st to the 6th I will probably not be able to update. There may or may not be wifi access where I am going, but don't get your hopes up. For more details visit my webpage (link on my profile) and go to my "journal."

Not sure how many chapters there will be after this one, but we'll see.

Thankies for the reviews, favorites, alerts, and for supporting this story!

Loves,  
>OSK<p> 


	7. Freedom

No long rambling author's note here this time. Just wanted to say thanks againa and say **Disclaimer**: I don't own these characters or anything affiliated with Glee.

Enjoy!

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><p>Puck was quickly put to work, digging new latrines as he was still able-bodied. Blaine was given the task of clearing out the dead and carrying them over to the shed where they were kept for cremation before. He would also be helping with the cremation process. However, that was subject to change since mass graves seemed a more efficient way of doing things. Well according to the American's anyway.<p>

Kurt's fever had gone down and Blaine still hovered over him when he could, but once Kurt was feeling well enough to walk around, he was outside. He was trying to help Puck or do anything else that was asked of him.

Blaine was glad Kurt was so willing to help but still he worried. Kurt had just gotten over his fever, he didn't think he should be outside in the cold, sweating while digging a hole.

However, Kurt wouldn't be swayed and Blaine simply worked alongside him and Puck, trying to keep an eye on Kurt whenever possible.

* * *

><p>On May 1st it was announced that there would be a celebration. Not only was May Day a national holiday in Germany, it was an important date in many other countries as well.<p>

From out of nowhere sprang flags of different countries and nations and they were held high as the prisoners who could walk began a parade around the compound.

Blaine, looked up at the black, red, and gold waving proudly on the flag of Germany. More flags were passing, the flag of Austria, the flag of Poland, and many more. So many different people, all coming together after a terrible tragedy and still showing so much pride in their countries, because no matter what they had been told, they were truly still loyal to their homelands.

As Blaine, Puck, and Kurt gathered with the mass of other prisoners a man got up on a platform and gave a short speech as the prisoners huddled together to shield themselves from the cold winds blowing.

Blaine vowed that he would never forget the sight of those flags passing by him, reminding him of how the world had been and how the world could be again.

A few days later, the three boys were waiting to be dusted with DDT to help control the spread of typhus and malaria in the camp. It was all part of the process they had to go through before they could be placed somewhere by the American's, who were working in unison with the leaders of other countries to help the new refugees. Blaine, who had been studying Puck over the past few days suddenly asked, "So who is this person you need to find?"

"What?" Puck seemed surprised that someone was actually asking him something personal. He usually kept up his tough exterior, keeping everyone out.

"This person you were so intent on finding that you tried to leave the camp. Who are they? Your Mother? Father? A sibling?"

Puck was silent for a minute, contemplating his answer before he said, "Let's just say, we're as close as brother and sister without being blood-related."

Kurt smiled, thinking of Finn and how close they had become before...all of this had happened.

Blaine had never had a sibling, or anyone his age that he was particularly close to. Well, before he had met Kurt, that is. He had sometimes felt a longing for a sister or a brother, but it had always just been him and his parent's, a tightly-knit family.

"So what's her name?" Blaine asked, pressing Puck for details.

Puck seemed taken aback at his interest in his personal life. "Her name is Rachel. Rachel Berry. Her fathers and my mother were friends before. Back when they were our neighbors, so we were sort of thrown together at birth.

Blaine nodded and smiled. Then he realized what Puck had said about her parents.

"Fathers?" Kurt asked, apparently catching that detail as well. "As in plural?"

Puck nodded, a little defensive. "I don't know who her mother was, and neither does she. Her fathers have always been enough for her. Not to mention my mother sort of helped raise her and vice versa."

Blaine and Kurt glanced at each other a little shocked before Puck said, "It wasn't exactly a scandal in our neighborhood. I mean, most people just avoided each other anyway and all of our neighbors were hiding some secret or another, so two men living together didn't really surprise anyone."

Blaine could't even begin to fathom living like that. Even if he had fantasized lately about him and Kurt, he was sure that was all it would ever be. A fantasy.

Kurt looked just as shocked. "What planet was your neighborhood located on?" He asked disbelievingly.

Puck just gave them a look that would've made anyone else flinch in fear. "Look, my neighborhood wasn't the best." He shrugged. "That's all."

Blaine pushed his thoughts about Rachel's father's aside and said, "So why do you need to find her? I mean where are her parent's?" He asked.

"Where are your parent's?" Kurt asked, curious now, about Puck's background.

Puck shrugged again, moving forward in line. "We got seperated. Her Dad's and my Mom were sent somewhere. Rachel's father didn't know we were going to be seperated...he asked me to look after her. I probably wouldn't take this so seriously, but...he was like a father to me, my own dad was never really in my life. I respected him, so, I figure the least I can do is take care of Rachel."

"So you don't think her fathers, or your mother...will be looking for you two?" Blaine asked tentatively.

Puck shook his head. "No. I don't think they survived."

Once again, Kurt looked flabbergasted. "How can you know?"

"I can just...tell." Puck said, turning around and facing forward in line.

Soon they were dusted and were sent to the next part of the process, diet assessment.

When they had been processed, checked, dusted, and questioned, they were sent to another part of the camp that everyone seemed to be trying to keep clean.

The three boys had to share a bunk, but it was still less cramped than their sleeping arrangements had been before.

Puck lay awake, long into the night, thinking about Rachel and his promise to her dad, and he made a solid decision in his mind. Tomorrow night. One more day.

Blaine shifted in his sleep and Puck had a sneaking suspicion the dark haired boy, whose curls were beginning to grow back, knew what he was planning because his face looked disapproving, even in his sleep.

Puck knew instinctively that Blaine was a person who stayed in line and kept to the rules of society, unless it couldn't be helped.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Blaine was the first one up, he stretched and climbed off the bunk, sitting on the floor next to it.<p>

Kurt shivered and moaned, heaving himself onto his elbows and peering over the edge of the bunk.

Blaine smiled and said, "good morning sleepyhead." Then he reached out and ruffled Kurt's chestnut-auburn hair that was also growing back in.

Puck heard Blaine's comment and Kurt's groan and sat up slowly, peering around at all the other "displaced persons" who were getting up.

That's what they had been labeled. Displaced Persons, DP's for short.

Puck turned back to his bunkmates to find Blaine watching him again.

Kurt was stretching and didn't notice anything transpiring between the two boys, but Blaine stared at Puck, searching for something.

Puck tried to hide behind the guy who had beaten the guard on the day of liberation, the guy he'd hidden behind his whole life, but for some reason Blaine smirked, as though he'd gotten what he wanted.

Puck shrugged this feeling off and quickly stood up, walking towards food and a day of hard work, with Kurt and Blaine right behind him.

They dug more latrines, carried more dead, and waited. Waited to be cleared to leave.

When they had eaten dinner and climbed into bed, Puck lay there, waiting for Blaine and Kurt's breathing to steady and become rythmic. He waited for them to sleep, but as it got later and later and they just lay there in the dark, Puck couldn't stand it anymore.

He sat up and whispered, "what's up with you two?"

Blaine answered. "We're waiting for you."

"Waiting for me to do what?"

"Leave." Kurt answered quietly.

Puck was stunned. "What?" He said quietly.

"Well are we going or aren't we?"

"We?"

"Yeah, we don't want to just sit around here, especially if you leave." Blaine said, smiling. "We'd have no protection. He sounded a little sarcastic but Puck didn't take offense.

"So do you have a plan?" Blaine asked Puck softly.

Puck considered for a minute before saying, "I was just gonna hop a fence."

"What fence? And aren't there guards?" Kurt asked.

Puck nodded. "Maybe I should rephrase. There's a stretch of fence I though we could go under, quietly. The guards would have a harder time seeing us crawl through some bushes and under a fence than they would have if we_"

"jumped the fence." Blaine finished for him.

Puck nodded, patting his pocket where he kept the patch from the guard. It almost felt like his identity now.

The three boys quietly climbed off their bunk and slipped out of the barracks and into the night.

They stole through the camp, acting like they were supposed to be headed some where. They steered toward the latrines and then veered away towards the chain-link fence.

There was a smnall, new, hole underneath it and it was shielded by bushes and shrubs on both sides.

Puck slipped underneath effortlessly, his frame barely not scraping against the fence. _I wouldn't have made it under that fence before I came here_, he thought to himself.

Blaine held the fence up, so the jagged edges wouldn't catch Kurt's clothes and then followed the other two boys under the fence.

They hurried away from Dachau concentration camp and towards their new lives. The lives they would choose for themselves.

* * *

><p>Ohh, they just did something very few people did. There were some who left the camp without permission and if they were caught, they were supposed to be shot if they didn't have a legit reason. Well...no one ever got caught who didn't have a legitimate reason, apparently.<p>

Anyways, sorry this took so long. I thought I would have this chapter done before I got home from camping but...I relaxed a little bit too much on my vacation, lol. However, I did have it started before we got home, so I was only half a failure.

I hope you enjoyed seeing a little bit more of Puck in this chapter. The next chapter should involve Rachel and Puck and then the chapter after that there will be more Klaine and whatnot, because I can't be away from them for too long. 3

But please review and let me know how this chapter went or how mad you are that this chapter took so long to get posted or, you know whatever thoughts you have. I'd be glad to hear them.

Thankies,  
>OSK<p> 


	8. A Jeep and Ally Occupied Germany

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the glee characters.

I also don't claim anything having to do with accuracy in this chapter. I am pretty sure some of this stuff is next to impossible. However I do hope you will forgive. Puck was just too compliant. He needed something to boost himself back to his rule-breaking bad boy status. That and the story is close to the end. There will probably only be one chapter after this and then our story will be over. So please forgive the lack of historical accuracy in this chapter alone. **You have been warned.**

Enjoy!

* * *

><p>Blaine, Puck, and Kurt crept through the darkness and only when they had crossed the moat and hidden behind a clump of trees down the road from the camp without being shot at, did Blaine release the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.<p>

Kurt nodded at him and then the two boys glanced at Puck.

He was surveying the landscape and watching the road closely. "That way." Puck said, pointing down the road toward the town of Dachau.

"Why?" Kurt asked, a little weary about following Puck blindly.

"Because, that's the way we came here from, and that's the direction we need to go to get to the crossroads where my truck and Rachel's truck seperated. We need to find that other road and follow it." He said fiercely.

"You are sure you'll remember the road when you see it?" Blaine asked.

Puck hesitated for only a second before saying, "Yeah."

Blaine nodded, Puck had probably been picturing that night since it had happened. "All right. Dachau it is." Kurt looked as though he wanted to protest so Blaine took his hand and gave his head a slight shake. He didn't really mind following Puck, even if they got lost it didn't matter as long as they stuck together, didn't get caught, and kept themselves alive.

Kurt looked down at their hands and smiled inwardly, his mouth however not moving. It was still to hard to show outward emotion.

Puck started to head out onto the road but Blaine caught his arm and shook his head.

"Wha-" Puck began but Blaine said, "We should stay under cover as long as possible." He gestured to the trees and the clumps that lined the road. "At least until we get past Dachau, the town."

Puck looked like he was going to protest again, but then he shrugged and turned to face the next clump of trees.

They skittered from tree to tree, luckily they were plentiful alongside the road and they never had to go more than a few seconds without being hidden. They did this for about fifteen minutes before Puck stopped and held his arms out, motioning the other two to stop and listen. Blaine heard deep voices muttering quietly, just ahead near the town.

The three boys held deathly still until they realized the voices were not moving. They crouched and quietly crept forward hiding behind some bushes so they could see around a bend in the road.

There were two soldiers standing outside the town. They were conversing quietly and Blaine whispered in Puck's ear, "army checkpoint."

Puck nodded and looked the soldiers over. They looked the same as the ones who had taken over the camp so Puck assumed they were Americans. Puck motioned they should continue down the road and pass Dachau, hopefully the guards weren't paying attention.

Kurt nodded resigned to following Puck, at least to get away from the camp and this town. Blaine glanced nervously at the guards and shook his head, but knew it was futile. "We can't stay, we'll get caught if we wait until daylight." Puck said quietly. Then he turned and started a little further back from the road, headed towards a clump of trees.

"Did you hear that?" One of the guards asked, scanning the road.

"No but I saw something moving, over there." His companion said, pointing straight at Puck.

In the dark Puck crouched silently praying they wouldn't investigate and would think it was a cat or dog or something.

No such luck. The two guards were headed right for Puck, Kurt and Blaine watched in horror as they passed the two boys hiding spot and headed towards Puck, guns loaded and cocked, held at the ready.

As they got closer Puck could make out more of their features, which meant they could make out more of Puck. Their faces began to change from suspicion to a mixture of that and pity.

"Are you from Dachau?" One of the men asked in English, pointing in the direction of the camp.

Puck should his head, misinterpreting. "I do not want to go back." He said in German shaking his head.

The guards looked a little confused but then one turned to the other and said, "hold on. Watch him and I will be right back."

The guard nodded and pointed his gun at Puck saying one word in German. "Stay."

Puck nodded, looking a little scared, but trying to hide it behind a tough exterior.

The guard hurried away and Blaine and Kurt held deathly still, crouching beneath there clump of bushes.

The guard ran inside the city and was back in a few minutes with another soldier. They hurried out to where Puck was and the three soldiers spoke for a minute before the newest soldier looked sternly at Puck and said in German, "Are you from the camp?"

Puck nodded.

"Do you have permission to be out here? Be careful how you answer, I know the answer and if you tell me a lie they will shoot you immediately."

Puck opened his mouth, hesitated, and then closed his mouth and shook his head, frowning.

"Well then, tell me why I should let you go, and not escort you back to the camp? Have you been deloused, cleaned, interviewed?"

"Yes." Puck nodded. The soldier looked taken aback.

"You have."

"_Ja._" Puck said again, feeling a little impatient.

"So then, why are you leaving? They'll help you get anywhere you want to live, that's their job. The displaced persons team will negotiate with foreign embassies if you wish to move to another country. They can get you a place to live there and help you find a job."

"I am no interested in their help, or in moving."

The soldier remained silent, staring at Puck. Puck stared back, refusing to be cowed by this authority figure, feeling like his old self again. "Well then where are you going?" The soldier asked.

Puck almost didn't answer, but then something prompted him to answer truthfully. "I am headed to one of the satellite camps. My...sister, was taken there and I am going to find her. Our parent's asked me to take care of her."

The man nodded, and looked over Puck again. "How did you plan on accomplishing this?"

Puck stared back at him, a little confused. "I was going to find the camp, sneak in, and sneak her out." You could almost hear the, 'duh,' in his voice.

The guard looked him over again and said, "Wait here." He spoke to his colleagues who eyed Puck as though he were dangerous or crazy and waited for their translator to return.

When he came back he was carrying a package. "Here take these. Use them to get in to the camp. Which camp are you looking for?"

Puck didn't know the name but he described the place where the road forked.

"I believe I can give you directions to the camp." After telling Puck which way he believed the camp was in, the officer turned to his companions and gestured for them to follow him back to their post, explaining Puck's story as they went.

While the three mens back's were to them, walking away, Blaine, Puck, and Kurt hurried away down the road in the direction the soldier had pointed.

Once around a bend in the road, Kurt asked, "what's in there?" Pointing to Puck's package.

Puck opened it and looked in, balancing the items in one hand. "A uniform, from an American soldier, and a note."

"What does it say?" Blaine asked.

Puck shook his head. "Don't know. It's in English."

"He could be setting up a trap." Kurt said, suspiciously.

Blaine shook his head. "I don't think he is."

Puck looked between the two and shrugged. "Either way I'm going to use this stuff."

They hurried on through the night and found a copse of trees to hide in during the day so they could catch up on their sleep. The camp was at least another day's walk.

* * *

><p>As the three boys neared the fence surrounding the factory-like building, Puck motioned for Blaine and Kurt to stop. "Wait over there. Don't get caught. I'll be out before dark at the latest."<p>

Kurt looked about to protest but Blaine didn't mind waiting. He didn't want to have to break out again which was inevitable if they entered the camp in their prisoner garb. So he tugged on Kurt's hand and pulled him over towards some trees that cast their shadow in the rising sun.

They had been walking all through the night and now as the sun rose, Blaine coaxed Kurt down until his head was laying on Blaine's chest.

Puck crept along the road until he could see the soldiers clearly enough. He straightened up and stuck his hand in the pocket of the uniform he now had on, clutching the note. Walking up to the guards he tried to salute them the way he'd seen it done before and, without speaking, handed them the note.

Blaine had already advised him not to speak as much as possible. He didn't know English and his accent would give him away.

Luckily the guard read the note and simply gestured for Puck to follow him saying, "follow me."

Puck surveyed his surroundings before passing through the opening gate.

* * *

><p>As the day went by, Blaine found it harder and harder to sleep. They were in the shade so it wasn't too hot or too bright. He was tired, after walking all night he actually felt exhausted. Maybe it was the closeness of the camp, he decided, that kept him from sleeping.<p>

Kurt didn't have a problem, almost as soon as Puck had entered the camp, Kurt had fallen asleep, his head on Blaine's shoulder.

So Blaine watched the clouds and thought to himself how blue the sky was and how strange it was to finally see the sun again. The weather was warming up again, very, very slowly, but inevitably.

He thought to himself about Christmas and what Kurt had told him he wanted to accomplish. He though maybe once, Puck had Rachel they would need a plan. Where would they go? Was there anyone they knew who they could stay with? They'd all need to get jobs if they were going to find a place to live. He didn't know what Puck had planned for him and Rachel, but he and Kurt were going to need a plan.

As he lay there attempting to sleep, Kurt meant so much to him that he could no longer imagine his life without him. Any plan he made now included Kurt. He wrapped his arm around Kurt tighter and closed his eyes, feigning sleep at the very least.

The day passed slowly for Blaine but quickly for Kurt and soon the sun was going down. Then Blaine heard something emerging from the gates of the camp.

There was the rumble of an engine and Blaine sat up, disturbing Kurt's sleep, just in time to see Puck in an army jeep driving quickly away. There was another person in the jeep screaming and holding on for dear life. Puck screamed meet you down the road and Blaine was sure he was the only one who heard and understood him.

He heard the engine turn the corner and stop behind a wall of trees. Kurt was grumping trying to get a sense of where he was and Blaine helped him up. They moved from tree to tree until they could no longer see the gates and then they moved to the road and found Puck and the jeep he was driving.

"How did you-" Kurt began, but Puck just shook his head grinning wildly and said, "get in."

Blaine helped Kurt into the back and then hurried up beside him. Puck started the engine and said, "I signed out a jeep. I just don't think we should be around when they realize I wasn't authorized to sign one out."

The girl in the front seat turned around to examine the two boys in the back of the jeep and then opened her mouth widely and said, "Hello. My name is Rachel Barry." She reached her hand out to shake and Kurt took it saying. "I'm Kurt, Kurt Hummel."

"Blaine Anderson. Nice to finally meet you Rachel." He shook her hand and studied the girl. Her face was expressive in a way his hadn't been since he and his parent's had been taken from their home. She had short brown hair, that went down to about her cheek and sparkling brown eyes.

"Nice to meet you boys as well." She noticed Blaine holding Kurt's hand and smiled even wider. "Are you two involved?"

"Excuse me?" Kurt asked.

"I mean are you two a couple?" She pointed at their hands.

"Oh umm..." Kurt glanced at Blaine who smiled and gave Kurt's hand a squeeze. Then he shrugged and Rachel and said, "who knows. Labels are not a favorite of ours." He gestured to the star of David still on his shirt.

"Oh." Rachel said. "I only asked because my father's..." She trailed off and began to look a little depressed. This expression seemed to be more in tune with the girl who has lost her parent's. She was all skin and bones, as they all were. She turned back around and sat in the front seat, brooding.

"Hey, where are we going?" Puck shouted back, trying to change the topic.

Rachel chuckled a little. "You're the driver," she mumbled.

Kurt whispered to Blaine and Blaine leaned forward, tapping Puck on the shoulder and whispering in his ear, pointing East.

Puck nodded and at the next turn went left, heading out of Nazi Germany and into ally-occupied Germany. They drove until it was dark and then Kurt took over since he'd had the most sleep during the day.

By sunrise they had reached the border of Nazi Germany and true freedom. Puck woke up and acted all manly and tried to look more muscly than he actually was as they passed the guard station. The soldier stopped them and asked for identification.

Puck showed them the note the soldier had given him again, and the guard just stared at it, confused.

"What is this?" he said in fractured German.

Puck shrugged and said, "I can not read it. I am trying to find my family. They are on this side of the border."

The guard looked them over and then looked at the note. He must have decided they were not spies and were not a threat because he waved them on.

Kurt continued driving, giving every one a half smile. His eyes had a glassy far away appearance and he seemed to know where he was going.

Later on that afternoon, it began to rain. Kurt stopped the jeep and said, "We should carry on on foot. I don't want to get picked up because you stole a jeep." He glanced at Puck and then jumped out.

"Where are we going?" Rachel asked, a little worn out by the thought of walking.

"A small town, just down the road a ways. I know someone there." Kurt answered, taking Blaine's hand and walking down the road at a leisurely pace. As they got closer and closer to the town, Kurt started to speed up and then slow down at random times. He was jumpy and nervous and Blaine had to keep squeezing his hand reassuringly.

The rain thickened and came down faster as they got nearer and nearer to the town and Puck and Rachel kept throwing each other glances, wondering where they were headed.

They entered the town and Kurt headed unwaveringly to the center of the town where there was a park. He stood nearby a bench and stared across the street at a small house, who shared it's walls with two other houses on each side.

Puck and Rachel sat down on the bench under some trees that shielded them from the rain, and Kurt turned to them and said, "I need to take care of something really quick. Will you two wait out here for a minute. Then we can leave if you want. I'm not exactly sure how long this will take but I'll try to make it quick."

Blaine went to let go of Kurt's hand and let him do what he needed to do, but Kurt wasn't letting go. He told Puck and Rachel they'd be back and dragged Blaine across the street to the door of the house and knocking on the door said, "I can't do this alone."

Blaine nodded and held his breath as he waited for the door to open.

* * *

><p>I know, such a mean place to leave off at but I'm going to update soon. I am soo sorry I took two weeks to update this. I seriously won't let it go that long again, my life has just been so hectic I have had 5 birthdays to celebrate in the last two weeks and one of them was mine.<p>

So don't worry, I'll update this story again within one week, especially since I almost have the entire next chapter written. I just need to type it up and finish it off so look forward to the very last chapter. And thanks to everyone who has seen the story to this point. I hope to see you guys again next chapter.

Please review and let me know where you think they are at, and how you like/hate this story. Your thoughts basically, anything that comes to mind.

Again let me apologize for the atrocious inaccuracy, but please let me have a little artistic license. I hope you enjoyed Puck stealing a jeep.

Thankies so much,  
>OSK<p> 


	9. The End

Just so you all know I went with the coloring of Carole's hair after Kurt got to it because I just love her new look.

Chapter 9 of WWII Glee Fic

Kurt stood out in the street for a minute with Blaine, just staring at the door of the slim, slightly crumbling brick building.

Blaine squeezed his hand and reminded him, "this is what you said you wanted for christmas."

Kurt nodded and Blaine released his hand and as he walked towards the door, Blaine slowly began to lag behind, giving Kurt his space. Blaine wasn't involved in this after all, and he didn't know how these people would feel about him and Kurt and...whatever they were.

Kurt reached the doorstep and turned around, gesturing for Blaine.

Blaine looked up at the gray sky and the light drizzle of rain and prayed it wasn't foreshadowing anything. Then he stepped forward under the eaves of the building. Kurt reclaimed his hand before reaching up and knocking on the door.

A light came on behind the curtains of the window and a woman's voice could be heard through the door.

"Probably more soldiers in need of food or shelter." The door opened slowly and a women with red-auburn hair and kind green eyes peeked around, waving them inside with her arm.

Kurt glanced quickly at Blaine before hurrying inside, Blaine right behind him, still holding his hand.

"Alright, bath's upstairs. Now, I don't want any fights about who's going fir-" Just then Carole had turned around from shutting the door and had raised her lamp to get a look at these two boys who she was sure weren't old enough to be in any army. They had all been that way so far. This time however, her jaw dropped and her mouth hung open. She kept blinking like she was seeing a ghost.

Blaine slowly stepped back feeling out of place in this reunion. He tried to fade into the background.

A boy came through one door near the stairs saying, "the water heater is working on heating up." He probably would've gone back into the kitchen if it hadn't been for his mother's expression and if Kurt hadn't turned around at his voice. The tall boy stopped and squinted his eyes, moving closer to Kurt.

"Kurt?" He asked, poking his cheek to make sure he was real.

[i]He better not poke me again if he wants to keep his finger.[/i] Kurt thought to himself as he nodded and said, "Hello Finn, Carole." He turned back to the woman who had opened the front door.

Carole had closed her mouth and moved forward slowly, tears streaming down her face. "Oh, Kurt." She choked, wrapping him tightly in her arms and rocking back and forth. She ran her hands through his hair and chuckled quietly, so happy to see him again.

Blaine could see that she loved Kurt, despite his homosexuality. Finn seemed happy to see Kurt too, he was grinning from ear to ear, and he could't stop stairing at the hugging pair.

He heard Kurt sob and try to hold it back as Carole patted him on the back and he looked down at the ground. If this hadn't taken place in front of the door, Blaine probably would have slipped out to give them some privacy. As it was, all he could do was look away and that was a difficult feat of mental willpower.

Carole let go of Kurt and Finn gave him a quick squeeze before Kurt complained about Finn cracking his rib cage.

The older woman began moving towards the door, looking out the window and biting her lip uncertainly.

"Mom, what are you doing?" Finn asked, stepping forward and peering outside over his mother's head.

"I'm looking for Burt. Where is he Kurt? Where's he hiding?" She searched Kurt's eyes, not willing to believe that Burt might not be there.

Kurt bit his lip and tears filled his eyes, overflowing. He hurried to try and wipe them away while looking imploringly at Blaine before turning back to Carole.

Now Finn was looking at Blaine strangely, studying him, Blaine noticed shuffling nervously.

"My Dad, he..." Kurt stopped and stuttered in his breathing as a sob wracked his entire body.

Carole had tears in her eyes now too, as she stepped forward and embraced Kurt again.

"He...loved...you." Kurt said in between sobs. "He loved...you so...much."

Carole just nodded, rubbing soothing circles on Kurt's back and crying freely onto his shoulder.

Eventually his heaving sobs subsided, and Kurt pulled back, his eyes red and puffy. He hiccuped and Carole smiled her red eyes crinkling.

"I just wanted you to know that." Kurt said, turning around and gesturing for Blaine to follow him and heading towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Finn asked nervously as Blaine joined him at the door and Kurt took one last look at the two figures left in the living room.

Kurt's face took on a confused expression and he said "what do you mean?"

'I mean where are you going?" Finn asked speaking slowly and enunciating his words loudly.

"I'm not deaf or dumb Finn." Kurt said, rolling his eyes and attempting a smile.

Carole stepped forward and said, "what he means, Kurt, is why are you leaving?"

Kurt looked confused again. "Well, I have a couple of friends waiting for me and Blaine outside, we're gonna go...find a place to stay?" Kurt ended his statement like a question and shrugged, looking at Blaine for help.

Carole chuckled, a little forcefully but then said, "well invite them in. You'll all stay here."

Kurt froze in surprise so Carole pushed past him and opened the door looking out. She noticed two figures across the street, standing under a lit street lamp and called out, "come on over here. Come in. Come in." She waved them over.

The girl began walking across the street and had to go back, grabbing the boys hand and dragging him along reluctantly behind her. Carole ushered them inside and shut the door.

Puck and Rachel hurried over to stand by Kurt and Blaine who had moved around the coffee table and over to the couch away from the front door.

"Well now, I'm Carole and this is my son, Finn. We already know Kurt of course, but you three are...?"

Kurt looked a little sheepish as he introduced his companions.

"Oh, hehe." Kurt muttered. "This is Blaine, Puck, and Rachel." He told them, gesturing to each in turn.

"Right well, why don't we let Rachel wash up first while you three figure out whose going next. Finn can you show Rachel where the bath is?"

Finn seemed to be distracted by Rachel's very presence in his house but hurried off when his mother gave him a little push.

Rachel glanced at her fellow traveling companions before hurrying into the kitchen and into the bathroom door that Finn had opened.

"If you three will follow me," Carole said as Finn joined them in the living room again. She went up the narrow staircase that was adjacent to the living room and Kurt followed quickly with Blaine and Puck right behind him. Finn looked around the living room a minute before deciding to follow them all upstairs.

Carole led them to the upstairs landing and opened two doors across from each other. "Kurt, you'll sleep in Finn's room with him. You two, Blaine and...Puck?" Puck nodded. "Well you two will sleep in here. And Rachel will sleep with me." She said the last bit quietly almost as if to herself.

"Once Rachel is done in the bath one of you will go next. I don't care who, but no fighting. When you're all washed up, dinner should be ready. Good thing too. You three don't look like you've been fed in years."

"We used to look a lot worse." Puck said. "Kurt was a skeleton, literally."

"Well that's all I see now." Carole said.

"Now though, we're happier. Free-er." Blaine said, glancing at Kurt.

Carole studied the two boys for a minute then said, "you three are free to do what you like for now. I need to go make extra food."

The boys made room for her to pass them on the landing and go back downstairs. They stood there quietly for a minute, not used to such freedom. Then Finn made his way past the other boys and into his room. "Let's get your bed made up Kurt." Kurt nodded, willing to help and followed Finn into his room.

Blaine walked downstairs, simply wandering and Puck followed him. They turned left at the bottom of the stairs and found themselves in the kitchen.

"Mrs. Hudson, is there anything we can help with?" Blaine asked, watching Carole bustle around the kitchen.

"Hmm?" She asked, looking up. "Oh, no. I'm fine. Why don't you boys have a seat at the table. You look exhausted."

Puck sat down and leaned on the table, laying his head on his arms, while Blaine sat with his hands resting on top of the table, fingers entwined and thumbs twiddling.

"So how did you two meet Kurt?" She asked, a little hesitantly, as though she didn't want to pry or cause them pain.

Blaine though about his answer, wondering how best to put it. "I met Kurt, on my first night at...Dachua."

"Oh? Did you have the chance to meet his father?" She asked, trying to seem nonchalant.

Blaine could tell it hurt her. "No. I...just missed him."

"That's a shame. Burt was a good man. He was a good father for Kurt." She sighed and mixed something about in a bowl.

Blaine felt a pang of jealousy, regret, and hurt as he remembered his last conversation with his father.

{([i})] "This goes against something we believe in Blaine. This is not acceptable in our society."

"Dad." His father stopped and looked down with a blank expression on Blaine.

"Mother...she's...gone."

His father simply stared off into the distance for a moment before nodding to himself and walking away. Deep down, Blaine couldn't help but feel his father had already known that. This conversation between them left Blaine believing that his father had felt they were both lost to him the moment they drove under the gates of this godforsaken camp.{([i})]

He wished things had gone differently. He couldn't understand. How could his father still be so hard hearted after everything that had happened in the camp. {([i})]"If you let yourself be seen with him, you'll be branded one of them."{([i})] What did labels have to do with anything in that despicable place. Everyone who was a prisoner there was in the same predicament and were all treated rather poorly. There was no caste system based on the labels or the symbols.

Blaine sighed, regretting his father's attitude as he said, "Kurt misses his father a lot. But he's had a lot on his plate so it's been hard to focus on his loss." Blaine finished quietly.

"What about you Blaine?" Carole looked at him, seemingly worried about how he was feeling. "Where is the rest of your family?"

"My mother...died," Blaine managed to get out. "Soon after we reached the camp. Maybe two or three weeks after."

Carole moved around the counter and towards Blaine as she asked, "and your father?"

Blaine felt this hurt was almost worse than speaking of his mother. "He's having a hard time accepting...how I've changed and who I've become. I'm not sure where he is right now. Kurt's lucky he had you and his father."

"Oh honey. I'm sorry." Carole said, making her way around the table and giving Blaine a comforting hug. "How old are you?"

"Seventeen." Blaine answered, hugging her back before letting go.

She bustled back to her cooking. "What about you Puck? First of all, is that your real first name?"

Puck looked up and shook his head. "My real name's Noah. Noah Puckerman. I'm not even a real jew. My grandpa was." He seemed a little indignant at that fact. His shoulders were hunched up as though trying to show off the muscles he used to have.

"I see." Carole smiled at his tough guy act. "Where's your family?"

Puck shrugged, trying to remain aloof and cool. "I don't know. My mom and Rachel's fathers got separated from us and I promised I'd take care of her." He said all this in a matter of fact tone, as though that was all that mattered.

"Oh so, you two have stuck together since the beginning?"

"Yeah, although she wasn't at Dachau's main camp."

Carole flinched when he referred to the camp. "But you found her?"

Puck nodded. "As far as I know, I'll never see them again. Which is fine, I mean I can take care of myself." Blaine saw his fist clench under the table over his pocket where the death-head patch was.

Carole could see Puck missed his mother. His guarded eyes could not conceal everything, especially since Carole had her motherly instincts on her side. This tough guy facade of his was not fooling her.

She continued bustling around the kitchen mixing things, pouring things, and baking things.

Kurt and Finn came down the stairs and Rachel hurried from the washroom, her hair dripping wet, but clean. She smiled at Carole and said, "thank you for lending me this robe." She crossed her arms and rubbed her hands along the sleeves. "It's nice and warm."

"You're welcome." Carole smiled at Rachel and said, "you can run upstairs and find some suitable clothes in my dresser. Top of the stairs, end of the hall. Then she turned to the boys. Finn had his finger in his mouth staring at Rachel. His finger was in his mouth because he'd been licking it off after snitching some sort of cram in a bowl on the table. The girls threw a look at one another and Carole used it as an excuse to study the girl whom her son was becoming so obviously enamored with.

She had very short brown hair, and Carole wondered why it had been cut so short. Her brown eyes had a shining light behind them that even the camps hadn't broken. Her smile was bright and contagious and she seemed to have held on to her humor even if she'd lost all nutrition in her thin, fragile-looking body.

Finn had removed his finger and was smiling now, use to being the butt of many jokes he did not understand. He didn't care that Blaine was chuckling and Kurt was laughing in a most un-Kurt like manner.

Carole looked at the three boys who remained as Rachel left the room and ascended the stairs.

Kurt and Blaine looked at each other and then at Puck. "I'll go wash up, he said standing up.

Carole nodded and checked on the food as Puck left the room. "Good timing." She muttered to herself. Then she turned to Kurt. "Honey, you and Blaine run up to Finn's room and see if you can find some clean clothes that'll fit you."

Kurt nodded. "Okay." He grabbed Blaine's hand softly pulled him from the room and up the stairs.

Blaine smiled as he felt Kurt's small, soft hand in his. They stepped over Kurt's bed of blankets on the floor and opened Finn's wardrobe. Kurt dug through the clothes and said, "here. These pants will be a little long since Finn is so much taller than you, but they'll fit. And this shirt will work." Kurt handed Blaine the very loose-fitting clothes. Then he rummaged a little bit more, grabbing two more pairs of pants and two shirts. "Puck will need something clean," he explained.

They tromped back down the stairs and Kurt walked to the washroom. "Puck! Clean clothes." He called through the door. A hand shot out, grabbed the clothes and the door ws shut again.

Rachel and Finn were conversing quietly at the table. Kurt set his clothes down on a chair and started mixing a bowl while Carole silently thanked him by kissing the back of his head and smoothing his short chestnut-colored hair down.

Blaine set his clothes down and sat at the table shutting his eyes. When he opened them, Puck was emerging from the washroom, clean and dressed.

"All right. Blaine or Kurt, who's going first?"

Blaine glanced at Kurt and opened his mouth to say Kurt could but Kurt beat him to it. "Blaine is." he walked over and pulled Blaine off the chair holding both his hands. He let go and handed him his pair of Finn's clothes, and pushed him towards the bathroom.

Blaine looked back to see if Kurt was sure, because this seemed like surprising and unusual behavior for the boy. He watched as the pale boy inched closer and closer to Carole. The motions seemed to be subconscious and Blaine feeling this moment was private, turned and went to wash up.

When he got out ten minutes later, dressed in Finn's clothes, with the pants rolled up so they didn't trip him, Blaine saw that Puck, Finn and Rachel had moved to the front room and were speaking softly. Kurt was still in the kitchen with Carole, helping with the finishing touches on the dinner. He started moving bowls format he counter to the table and Blaine stepped in, intercepting the bowls and plates.

"Your turn, hurry and wash up before dinner." Blaine said, standing in Kurt's way of the table. He'd glanced at Carole who nodded and smiled in approval. Kurt relinquished the bowl and plate he'd been holding and smiled at Blaine, a real smile, and went off to the washroom.

Carole and Blaine worked in silence for a moment but when all the bowls had been brought over, they sat down at the table. Carole smiled at Blaine and said, "so you're like Kurt?" From anyone else that could have been an insult, but from Carole it was sincere curiosity and caring for Kurt's well-being.

Blaine nodded and said, "yes, I think so."

Carole's smile widened. "So, you like my son then?"

Blaine felt a soft blush creep up his neck and his ears burn red. "Anyone would have to be daft not to."

Carole nodded and felt herself warm to this boy, hearing the underlying love he had for Kurt in his words.

Just then Kurt emerged from the washroom, clean and dressed in Finn's baggy clothes. They drowned him. Blaine chuckled and Carole laughed and said, "we'll need to go shopping." Kurt's eyes lit up at those words. Then Carole called the other three in for supper.

"Quick wash." Blaine commented as he sat down next to Kurt, who threw him a look that said he was happy to be here, especially with Carole. For once hygiene wasn't quite as important as it had been before Dachau.

-

Later that night after dinner had been cleaned up and the story of their journey there had been told, Carole insisted they all go to bed.

Everyone protested that they weren't tired but really they just didn't want to go off to bed in the dark without one another. Rachel had missed Puck immensely. They were practically family and she had just gotten him back. Kurt and Blaine had been with each other every night since Blaine arrived at Dachau. Finn just didn't want Rachel to go to sleep and Puck simply claimed he wasn't tired.

Carole was not having any of it however and she ushered them all out of the living room, forcing them to climb the stairs to the bedrooms.

"Rachel, just down the hall there," she pointed. "I'll be there in a minute."

Rachel nodded and passed by all the boys.

"Good night Rachel." Finn said just before she entered the room.

Carole smiled to herself then waited for the boys to enter their rooms. "No one needs anything?" She asked and they all shook their heads.

She nodded and followed Finn and Kurt into Finn's room. She gave them both great big hugs an whispered, "I love you," to each of them, even taking the time to tuck them in.

Finn drifted off to sleep quite easily but Kurt simply couldn't sleep. He closed his eyes and pictured his father and Carole together before the war. He frowned up at the ceiling. It was his fault his father wasn't there. All because he'd liked one boy school who had found out and freaked, reporting him to the gestapo.

He'd been stupid. He should've covered up his sexuality and pretended to like girls. Maybe then his father would be here and he wouldn't be causing hurt to Carole. Sweet Carole who treated him like her own son.

Kurt sighed and quietly got up, tip-toeing to the door and out on to the landing. He paused wondering where he was intending to go now that he was up. He glanced down the hall towards Carole's room and waited to see if anyone was up. It didn't seem like it, although there was a little sound coming from that direction that sounded suspiciously like sniffling. Kurt hoped Carole wasn't lying awake crying.

He breathed out quietly and sat down on the top stair, just knowing he wasn't tired. He didn't know how long he sat there but when he looked up again Puck was walking down the stairs and Blaine was emerging from their room, rubbing his eyes.

He sat down next to Kurt on the stairs and whispered so as not to wake Carole.

"What's wrong? What are you doing out here?"

"I could ask you the same thing." Kurt pointed out.

Blaine, however, shook his head. "Puck wanted a drink of water and when he opened the door he saw you sitting here. He figured I'd be able to help so he came and got me."

Kurt nodded, grateful for Puck more in this moment than ever before.

Down the hall they heard a snort come from Rachel and Blaine wrapped his arm around Kurt's shoulder, standing them both up and guiding him down the stairs to the living room where they could speak a little more freely.

"So what's the matter?" Blaine asked, sitting Kurt down on the couch and sitting down next to him. "Just can't sleep or thinking about something important?"

Kurt tried to just shake his head and pretend everything was okay but Blaine wasn't having any of that. "Does it have to do with Carole?"

Kurt held his fingers up, showing him that was a little bit of what he was thinking about.

Blaine nodded and asked, "your dad?"

Kurt nodded and his eyes moistened up, but he hastily wiped them away. He was not having any more crying.

"You miss him?"

Kurt nodded and then said, "it's my fault he's gone."

Blaine was a little shocked to hear this from Kurt. "How?"

"If I hadn't been outed," he stopped and tried starting again. "If he had just said, he hadn't known I was..." He trailed off and sighed frustrated.

"Kurt...you're blaming yourself for your father's death, because he didn't distance himself from you and-"

Kurt cut in and said, "and went down with my ship? Yeah, I am." He said that with conviction and vehemence.

Blaine shook his head, "Kurt," he began trying to explain.

"You are upset your father died because he believed you had the right to love whomever you wanted?"

Kurt nodded.

"You're father showed you the ultimate sacrifice of love." Blaine seemed incredulous and Kurt pulled his knees up to his chest, slouching.

"I just...wish he hadn't. This day has been...bittersweet for both me and Carole. Finn too. He was becoming quite close to my father as they bonded over 'boy stuff.' Before..."

Blaine nodded and bit his lip thinking. "Kurt, do you think if your father knew what was going to happen when he decided to stick by you, he would've made a different choice?"

Kurt nodded immediately, but then he stopped and thought about it for a moment. He looked down at the floor and shook his head. "No. He would have done the same thing, all while I protested. He did before and he would again."

Blaine nodded and let his head fall against Kurt's, wrapping Kurt in his arms and letting the slighter boy nestle against his shoulder. Crying until he was out of tears and had fallen asleep.

He found himself wishing their roles were reversed, that he'd been the one to lose a loving father rather than be the one who lost his father due to his disapproval. Then he quickly threw that thought from his head. He wanted Kurt to remember that his father had loved him and didn't want to leave him. Kurt's grief would pass, even if it never left him entirely. Blaine's hurt feelings from his father's rejection would stay with him forever, hiding under the surface.

Blaine hadn't intended letting Kurt fall asleep, but now that he was, he didn't have the energy or the will to move him. So he leaned back into the couch and let his chin rest on the top of Kurt's head, his eyes drooping closed.

Puck emerged from the kitchen and glanced over at the two boys, cuddled on the couch. He sighed and shook his head, turning to go up the stairs. He headed straight for Blaine's bed and whipped the blanket off the bed, taking it back down stairs and draping it across the two boys.

Carole was only going to be a little surprised when she found the two boys there in the morning.

Rachel and Finn would smile and bond over the next few weeks that they bustled around one another in the house, before Puck finally shoved them into his and Blaine's bedroom closet and locked the door, vowing that he had lost the key and wouldn't go look for it unless they agreed to stop dancing around each other and just get together already.

Both parties vehemently disagreed until they had the sinking feeling that Puck had left the room or swallowed the key or something equally horrifying.

Rachel conceded she had feelings for Finn and had been worried about what Puck would think and Finn admitted he liked Rachel, but he was worried about messing up his new found friendship with the boy.

Puck had rolled his eyes and let them out of the closet when Carole came in and found out what he had been doing, but by then the two in the closet had already confessed.

Blaine and Kurt had a great laugh at their expense the rest of the week, especially when they were sitting around the fireplace in the living room and Rachel reached over to hold Finn's hand which was so much larger than hers.

All in all, everyone was happy and relieved to finally have their lives back again, or as much as it was possible to regain. Sure they had lost loved ones on the way, but that only showed them how precious each day was and how firm they needed to be in their actions each day. Taking nothing and no one for granted and always remembering what they had gone through together.


End file.
